THE BOOK OF HUSBANDRY ▸ ❧  
1534    

☞ The authors prologue.  
SIt ista questio. This is the question, Whereunto is every man ordained. And as job saith, Homo nascitur ad laborem, sicut avis ad volandum: That is to say, a man is ordained and borne to do labour, as a bird is ordained to fly. And the apostle saith, Qui non laborat, non manducet: Debet enim in obsequio dei laborare, qui de bonis eius vult manducare. That is to say, he that laboureth not, should not eat, and he ought to labour and do god's work, that will eat of his goods or gifts, The which is an hard text after the literal sense. For by the letter, the king, the queen, nor all other lords spiritual and temporal should not eat, without they should labour, the which were uncomely, and not convenient for such estates to labour, But who that readeth in the book of the moralytes of the chess, shall thereby perceive, that every man, from the highest degree to the lowest, is set and ordained to have labour and occupation, and that book is divided in vi degrees, that is to say, the king, the queen, the bishops, the knights, the judges, and the yomennes. In the which book is showed their degrees, their auctorytyes, their work, and their occupations, and what they ought to do. And they so doing and executing their auctorytyes, work, and occupatyons, have a wonders great study and labour, of the which auctorytyes, occupations, and work, were at this time to long to write. Wherefore I remit that book as mine author thereof: The which book were necessary to be known of every degree, that they might do and order themself according to the same. And in so much the yeomen in the said moralytyes and game of the chess be set before to labour, defend, and maintain all the other higher estates, the which yeomen represent the common people, as husbands and labourers, therefore I purpose to speak first of husbandry.  
Finis.   

¶ The table.  

FIrst whereby husband men do live. fo i.  
Of divers manner of ploughs. fol. eod.  
To know the names of all the parts of the plough. fol. two.  
¶ The tempering of ploughs. fo. iii.  
¶ The necessary things that belong to a plough cart or wain. fol. iiii.  
¶ Whether is better a plough of oxen or a plough of horses. fol. v.  
¶ The diligence and the attendance that a husband should give to his work in manner of an other prologue, and a special ground of all this treatise. fol. vi.  
¶ How a man should plough all manner of lands all times of the year. fo. seven.  
To plough for peas and beans. fol. viii.  
How to sow both peas & beans. fol. viii.  
Sede of discretion. fol. ix.  
How all manner of corn should be sown. folio. eodem.  
To sow barley. fol. x.  
To sow oats. fol. xi.  
To harowe all manner of corns. fol. xii.  
To fallow. fol. xiii.  
To carry out dung or muck, and to spread it. fol. xiiii.  
To set out the sheep fold. fol. xv.  
To carry wode and other necessaries. fol. xvi.  
To know divers manner of weeds. fol. eod.  
To weed corn. fo. xvii.  
The first stirring, and to mow grass. foli. xviii.  
How forks and rakes should be made. fo. nineteen.  
To tedde and make hay. fol. eod.  
How rye should be shorn. fol. xx.  
How to shear wheat. fol. xxi.  
To mow or shear barley and oats. fo. eod.  
To reap or mow peas and beans. fol. xxii.  
How all manner of corn should be tithed. folio. eodem.  
How all manner of corn should be covered. fol. xxiii.  
To load corn and mow it. fol. eod.  
The second stirring. fo. xxiiii.  
To sow wheat and rye. fol. eodem.  
To thresh and wynowe corn. fo. xxv.  
To sever beans, pees, and fetches. fol. eod.  
Of sheep and what time of the year the rams should be put to the ewes. fol. xxvi  
To make a ewe to love her lamb. fol. xxvii.  
What time lambs should be waned. fo. eod.  
To draw sheep and sever them in diverse parts. fo. xxviii.  
To belt sheep. fol. xxix.  
To grece sheep. fol. eod.  
To meddle terre. fol eodem.  
To make broom salve. fol. eod.  
If a sheep have mathes, fol. thirty.  
blindness of sheep and other diseases, and remedies therefore. fo. eod.  
The worm in a sheeps foot, and help therefore. fo. xxxi.  
The blood, and remedy if he come betime. fol. eodem.  
The pocks, and remedy therefore. fol. eod.  
The wooed evil, and remedy therefore. fo. 32.  
To wash sheep. fol. eod.  
To shear sheep. fol. eod.  
To draw and sever the bad sheep from the good fol. eod.  
What thing rotteth sheep. fol. xxxiii.  
To know a rotten sheep diverse manner ways, whereof some of them will not fail. fol. xxxiiii.  
To by lean cattle. fol. eod.  
To buy fat cattle. fo. xxxv.  
diverse sicknesses of cattle, and remedies therefore, and first of murrain. fol. eod.  
Long sought, and remedy therefore. fo. xxxvi  
Dewbolue, and the hard remedy therefore. fol. eod.  
Ryson upon, and the remedy therefore. fol. xxxvii.  
The turn, and remedy therefore. fol. eod.  
The warribred, & remedy therefore. fo. xxxviii  
The foul, and remedy therefore. fol. eod.  
The gout without remedy. fol. eod.  
To rear calves. fol. eod.  
To geld calves. fol. xxxix.  
Horses and mares to draw. fol. xl.  
¶ The loss of a lamb, a calf, or a fool. fol. xli.  
What cattle should go together in one pasture. fol. xlii.  
The properties of horses. fol. xliii.  
The two properties that a horse hath of a man. fol. eod.  
The. two. properties of a bauson. fol. eod.  
The. iiii. properties of a lion. fol. eod.  
The. ix. properties of an ox. fol. xliiii.  
The. ix. properties of an hare. fol. eod.  
The. ix. properties of a fox. fol. eod.  
The. ix. properties of an ass. fol. eod.  
The. x. properties of a woman. fol eod.  
The diseases and sorance of horses. fol. xlv.  
The lampas. fol. eod.  
The barbs. fo. eod.  
Mourning on the tongue. fol. eod.  
Pursye. fo. eod.  
Broken winded. fol. eod.  
Glanders. fo. eod.  
Mourning on the chin. fol. eod.  
Stranguelyon. fol. eod.  
The haw. fol. eod.  
Blindness. fol. xlvi.  
Vyves. fol. eod.  
The cords. fol. eod.  
¶ The farcyon. fol eod.  
¶ A malander. fol. eod.  
¶ A salander. fol. eod.  
¶ A serewe. fol. eod.  
¶ A splent. fo. eod.  
¶ A ryngebone. fol xlvii.  
¶ Wyndgall. fol. eod.  
¶ Morfounde. fol. eod.  
¶ The colts evil. fol. eod.  
¶ The botts. fo. eod.  
¶ The worms. fol. eod.  
¶ Afraid. fo. eod.  
¶ Navylgall. fo. eod.  
¶ A spaven. fol eod.  
¶ A curb. fol. eod.  
¶ The string halt. fol. eod.  
¶ Enterfyre. fo. eod.  
¶ Myllettes. fol. eod.  
¶ The pains. fol. eod.  
¶ Cratches. fol. eod.  
¶ Attaint. fol. xlix.  
¶ Gravelling. fol. eod.  
¶ Acloyd. fol. eod.  
¶ The scab. fol. eod.  
¶ Lousy. fol eod.  
¶ Warts. fol eod.  
¶ The saying of the french man. fo eod.  
¶ The diversity between a horse master, a corser, and a horse leech. fol. l.  
¶ Of swine. fo. eod.  
¶ Of bees. fol. li.  
¶ How to keep beasts & other cattle. fol. lii.  
¶ To get sets and set them. fol. liii.  
¶ To make a dyche. fol. liv.  
¶ To make a hedge. fol. eod.  
¶ To plash and pleche a hedge. fol. eod.  
¶ To mend a high way. fo. lv.  
¶ To remove and set trees. foe lvi.  
¶ Trees to be set without roots and grow. fol. lvii.  
¶ To fell wood for household or to sell. fol. eodem.  
To shred, lop, or crop trees. fol. lviiii.  
How a man should shred lop or crop trees. fol. eod.  
To sell wood or timber. fol. lix.  
To keep spring wood. fo. lx.  
Necessary things belonging to graffing. fol. eod.  
What fruit should be first graffed. fol. lxi.  
How to graff. fol. eod.  
To graff between the bark and the tree. fol. lxii.  
To nourish all manner of stone fruit and nuts. fol. lxiii.  
A short information for a young gentle man that intendeth to thrive. fol. eod.  
A lesson made in english verses, that a gentylmans servant shall forget none of his gear in his inn behind him. fo. lxv.  
A prologue for the wives occupation. fo. eod.  
A lesson for the wife. fol. eod.  
What things the wife of right is bound to do. fol. lxvi.  
What work the wife ought to do generally. fo. eod.  
To keep measure in spending. fo. lxvii.  
To eat within thy tedure. fo. lxviii.  
A short lesson unto the husband. fol lxix.  
How men of high degree do keep measure. fol. eodem.  
Prodygalytie in outrageous and costly array. fol. lxx.  
Of delicious meats and drinks. fol. eod.  
Of outrageous play and game. fo. lxxi.  
A prologue of the third saying of the philosopher. fo. lxxii.  
A diversity between predycation and doctrine. fol. eodem.  
What is richesse. fo. lxxiii.  
What is the property of a rich man fo. lxxiiii.  
What joys & pleasures are in heaven fo. lxxv.  
What thing pleaseth god most. fol. lxxvi.  
What be gods commandments. fo. eod.  
How a man should love god and please him. fol. eodem.  
How a man should love his neighbour. fol. lxxvii.  
Of prayer that pleaseth god very moche. folio. lxxviii.  
What thing letteth prayer. fol. eod.  
How a man should pray. fo. lxxix.  
A mean to put away idle thoughts in praying. fol. lxxx.  
A mean to avoid temptation. fol. lxxxi.  
Alms deeds pleaseth god moche. foe lxxxii.  
The first manner of alms deed. fo. lxxxiii.  
The. two. manner of alms deed. fo. lxxxiiii.  
The. iii. manner of alms deed. fol lxxxv.  
What is the greatest offence that a man may do and offend god in. fo. lxxxvi.   
Thus endeth the table.   

HUSBANDRY.  

¶ Here beginneth the book of husbandry, and first where by husband men do live.  
THe most general living that husbands can have, is by ploughing and sowing of their corns, and rearing or breeding of their cattle, and not the one without the other. Than is the plough the most necessaryest instrument that an husband can occupy, wherefore it is convenient to be known, how a plough should be made.   

¶ divers manners of ploughs.  
THere be ploughs of divers makynges in divers countries, and in like wise there be ploughs of iron of divers fations. And that is because there be many manner of grounds and soils. Some white clay, some red clay, some gravel or chylturne, some sand, some mean earth, some meddled with marvel, and in many places heeth ground, and one plough will not serve in all places. wherefore it is necessary, to have divers manners of ploughs. In Sommersetshyre, about Zelcester, the sharbeame, that in many places is called the plough head, is four or five foot long, and it is broad and thin. And that is because the land is very tough, and would soak the plough into the earth, if the sharbeame were not long, broad, and thin. In Kente they have other manner of ploughs, somme go with wheels, as they do in many other places, and some will turn the sheldbredth at every lands end, and plough all one way. In Buckyngham shire, are ploughs made of another manner, and also other manner of plough irons, the which me seemeth generally good, and likely to serve in many places, and specially if the ploughbeame and sharbeame be four inches longer, between the shethe, and the plough tail, that the sheldbrede might come more a slope: for those ploughs give out to suddenly, and therefore they be the worse, to draw, and for no cause else. In Leycestershyre, Lankesshyre, yorkshire, Lyncoln, Norfolk, cambridge shire, and many other countries, the ploughs be of divers makings, the which were to long process to declare how. etc. But how so ever they be made if they be well tempered, and go well, they may be the better suffered.   

¶ To know the names of all the parts of the plough.  
MEn that be no husbands, may fortune to read this book, that know not which is the plough beam, the sharebeame, the plough sheathe, the plough tail, the stilte, the rest, the sheldbrede, the fen breed, the rough staves, the plough foot, the plough ear or coke, the share the culture, and ploughed mal. peradventure I give them these names here, as is used in my country, and yet in other countries they have other names: wherefore ye shall know, that the plough beam, is the long tree above, the which is a little bent. The sharbeame is the tree underneath, where upon the share is set, the plough sheath is a thine piece of dry wood, made of oak, that is set fast in a morteys in the plough beam, and also in to the sharebeame, the which is the key and the chief band of all the plough. The plough tail is that the husband holdeth in his hand, and the hinder end of the ploughebeame is put in a long slit, made in the same tail, and not set fast, but it may rise up and go downe, and is pinned behind, and the same plough tail is set fast in a morteys, in the hinder end of the sharebeame. The plough stylte is on the right side of the plough, whereupon the rest is set, the rest is a little piece of wood, pinned fast upon the neither end of the stylt, and to the sharebeame in the further end. The sheldbrede is a broad piece of wood, fast pinned to the right side of the sheathe in the further end, and to the utter side of the stylte in the hinder end. The fenbreds is a thine board, pinned or nailed most commonly to the life side of the sheathe in the further end, and to the plough tail in the hinder end. And the said sheldbrede would come over the said sheathes and fenbrede an inch, and to come past the mids of the share, made with a sharp edge, to receive and turn the earth when the culture hath cut it. There be two rough staves in every plough in the hinder end, set a slope between the plough tail and the stilt, to hold out and keep the plough abroad in the hinder end, and the one longer than the other. The plough foot is a little piece of wood, with a crooked end set before in a morteys in the plough beam, set fast with wedges, to drive up and down, and it is a stay to order, of what deepness the plough shall go. The plough ear is made of three pieces of iron, nailed fast unto the right side of the plough beam. And poor men have a crooked piece of wode pinned fast to the ploughbeame. The share is a piece of iron, sharp before and broad behind, a foot long, made with a socket to be set on the further end of the share beam. The culture is a bend piece of iron set in a morteys in the mids of the plough beam, fastened with wedges on every side, and the back thereof is half an inch thick and more, and three inches broad, and made keen before to cut the earth clean, and it must be well steeled, and that shall cause the easier draught, and the yrens to last moche longer. The blough mal is a piece of hard wood, with a pin put through, set in the plough beam, in an auguries bore.   

¶ The tempering of ploughs.  
Now the ploughs be made of divers manners, it is necessary for an husband, to know how these ploughs should be tempered, to plough and turn clean, and to make no rest balks. A rest baulk is where the plough biteth at the point of the culture and share, and cutteth not the ground clean to the forowe, that was ploughed last before, but leaveth a little ridge standing between, the which doth breed thistyls, and other weeds. All these manner of ploughs should have all like one manner of tempering in the yrens. How be it a man may temper for one thing in two or three places, as for deepness. The foot is one: the setting of the culture of a deepness, is another: and the third is at the plough tail, where be two wedges, that be called slote wedges: the one is in the slote above the beam, the other in the said slote, under the plough beam, and other while he will set both above, or both underneath. but always let him take good heed, and keep one general rule, that the hinder end of the sharebeme always touch the earth, that it may kill a word, or else it goth not truly. The tempering to go broad and narrow is in the setting of the culture: and with the dryvinge of his side wedges, forewedge and helewedge, which would be made of dry wood. and also the setting on of his share helpeth well, and is a cunning point of husbandry, and mendeth and payreth much ploughing: but it is so narrow a point to know, that it is hard to make a man to understand it by writing, without he were at the operation thereof, to teach the practive. for it must lean moche in to the forowe, and the point may not stand to much up nor down, nor to much in to the land, nor into the forowe. How be it, the setting of the culture helpeth moche. Some ploughs have a bend of iron tryanglewise, set there as the plough ear should be, that hath three nyckes on the farther side. And if he will have his plough to go a narrow forowe, as a seed forowe should be, than he setteth his foot team in the nycke next to the plough beam. and if he will go a mean breadth, he setteth it in the middle nycke, that is best for stirring. and if he would go a broad forowe, he setteth it in the uttermost nycke, that is best for falowing: The which is a good way, to keep the breadth, and soon tempered, but it serveth not the deepness. And some men have in stead of the plough foot, a piece of iron set upright in the farther end of the plough beam, and they call it a coke, made with. two. or three nyckes, and that serveth for deepness. The ploughs that go with wheels, have a straight beam, and may be tempered in the iron, as the other be, for the breadth, but their most special temper is at the bolster, where as the plough beam lieth, and that serveth both for deepness and for breadth. And they be good on even ground that lieth light, but me seemeth, they be far more costly than the other ploughs. And though these ploughs be well tempered for one manner of ground, that temper will not serve in an other manner of ground, but it must rest in the discretion of the husband, to know when it goeth well.   

¶ The necessary things, that belong to a plough, cart, and wain.  
But or he begin to plough, he must have his plough and his plough iron, his oxen or horses, and the gear that belongeth to them, that is to say, bows, yokes, lands, stylkynges, wrething temes. And or he shall load his corn, he must have a wain, a copyoke, a pair of sleeves, awane rope, and a pykforke. This wain is made of divers pieces, that will have a great reparation, that is to say, the wheels, and those be made of nathes, spokes, fellies, and dowles, and they must be well fettered with wood or iron. And if they be iron bounden, they are much the better, and though they be the dearer at the first, yet at length they be better cheap, for a pair of wheels iron bound, will wear. seven. or. viii pair of other wheels, and they go round and light after oxen or horses to draw. Howbeit on marreis' ground and soft growd, the other wheels be better, because they be brother on the soul, and will not go so deep. They must have an axiltre, clout with. viii. waincloutes of iron. two. lyn pings of iron in the axiltre ends. two. axil pins of iron, or else of tough hard wood. The body of the wain of oak, the staves, the neither rathes, the over rathes, the cross summer, the keys and pikstaves. And if he go with a horse plough, than must he have his horses or mares, or both his hombers or collars, holmes whited, tresses, swyngletrees, and togwith. also a cart made of ash, because it is light and like stuff to it as is to a wain, and also a cart saddle, bakbandes, and belybandes, and a cart ladder behind, when he shall carry either corn or kids, or such other. And in many countries their veins have cart ladders both behind and before. Also an husband must have an axe, a hatchet, a hedgyngebyll, a pin awgur, a rest awgur, a flail, a spade, and a shovel. And how be it that I give them these names, as is most commonly used in my country, I know they have other names in other countries. But hereby a man may perceive many things, that belong to husbandry, to their great costs and charges, for the maintenance and upholding of the same. And many more things are belonging to husbands than these, as ye shall well perceive, ere I have made an end of this treatise. And if a young husband should buy all these things, it would be costly for him: wherefore it is necessary for him, to learn to make his yokes, ox bows, stools, and all manner of plough gear.   

¶ Whether is better a plough of horses or a plough of oxen.  
IT is to be known, whether is better a plough of horses, or a plough of oxen, and therein me seemeth ought to be made a distinction. For in some places, an ox plough is better than a horse plough, and in some places, a horse plough is better: that is to say, in every place, where as the husband hath several pastures, to put his oxen in, when they come fro their work, there the ox plough is better. For an ox may not endure his work, to labour all day, and than to be put to the commons, or before the herdman, and to be set in a fold all night without meat, and go to his labour in the morning. But and he be put in a good pasture all night, he will labour moche of all the day daily. And oxen will plough in tough clay, and upon hilly ground, where as horses will stand still. And where as is no several pastures, there the horse plough is better, for the horses may be teddered or tied upon leys, balks, or hades, where as oxen may not be kept: and it is not used to tedder them, but in few places. And horses will go faster than oxen on even ground or light ground, & be quicker for carriage: but they be far more costly to keep in winter, for they must have both hay and corn to eat, and straw for litter, they must be well shod on all four feet, and the gear that they shall draw with is more costly than for the oxen, and shorter while it will last. And oxen will eat but straw, and a little hay, the which is not half the cost that horse is must have, and they have no shoes, as horses have. And if any sorance come to the horse, or wax old, broysed, or blind, than he is little worth. And if any sorance come to an ox, wax old, broysed, or blind, for. two. s. he may be fed, and than he is man's meat, and as good or better than ever he was. And the horse, when he dieth, is but carryen. And therefore me seemeth, all things considered, the plough of oxen is much more profitable, than the plough of horses.   

¶ The diligence and the attendance that a husband should give to his work, in manner of an other prologue, and the special ground of all this treatise.  
THou husband, that intendest to get thy living by husbandry, take heed to the saying of the wise philosopher, the which saith, A dhibe curam, tenemensuram, et eris dives. That is to say, Take heed to thy charge, keep measure, and thou shalt be rich. And now to speak of the first article of these. iij. s. A dhibe curam. He that will take upon him to do any thing, and be slothful, reckless, and not diligent, to execute and to perform that thing, that he taketh upon him, he shall never thrive by his occupation. And to the same intent saith our lord in his gospel, by a parable. Nemo mittens manum suam ad aratrum respiciens retro, aptus est regno dei. The spiritual constructyon of this text, I remit to the doctors of divinity, and to the great clerks, but to reduce and bring the same text to my purpose, I take it thus, There is no man, putting his hand to the plough looking backward, is worthy to have that thing, that he ought to have. For if he go to the plough, and look backward, he seeth not, whether the plough go in ridge or rain, make a baulk, or go overthwart. And if it so do, there will be little corn. And so if a man attend not his husbandry, but go to sport or play, tavern or ale house, or sleeping at home, and such other idle work, he is not than worthy to have any corn. And therefore, Fac quod venisti, Do that thou comest fore, and thou shalt find that thou seekest fore. etc.   

¶ How a man should plough all manner of lands all times of the year.  
Now these ploughs be made and tempered, it is to be known, how a man should plough all times of the year. In the beginning of the year, after the feast of the Epiphany, it is time for a husband to go to the plough. And if thou have any leys, to fallow or to sow oats upon, first plough them, that the grass and the moss may rot, and plough them a deep square forowe. And in all manner of ploughing, see that thy eye, thy hand, and thy foot do agree, and be alway ready one to serve another, and to turn up much mould, and to lay it flat, that it rear not on edge. For if it rear on edge, the grass and moss will not rot. And if thou sow it with winter corn, as wheat or ry, as much corn as toucheth the moss, will be drowned, the moss doth keep such weet in itself. And in some countries, if a man plough deep, he shall pass the good ground, and have but little corn: but that country is not for men to keep husbandry upon, but for to rear and breed cattles or sheep, for else they must go beat their lands with mattocks, as they do in many places of cornwall, and in some places of devonshire.   

¶ To plough for pease and beans.  
How to plough for peas and beans, were necessary to know. first thou must remember, which is most cley ground, and that plough first, and let it lie a good space, ere thou sow it: because the frost, the rain, the wind, and the son may cause it to break small, to make moche mould, and to rygge it. And to blow a square forowe, the breadth and the deepness all one, and to lay it close to his fellow. For the more forowes, the more corn, for a general rule of all manner of corns. And that may be proved at the coming up of all manner of corn. to stand at the lands end, and look toward the other end. And than may ye see, how the corn groweth.   

☞ How to sow both pease and beans.  
THou shalt sow thy peace upon the clay ground, and thy beans upon the barley ground: for they would have ranker ground than pease. How be it some husbands hold opinion, that big and stiff ground, as cley, would be sown with big stuff, as beans: but me think the contrary. For if a dry summer come, his beans will be short. And if the ground be good, put the more beans to the pease, and the better shall they yield, when they be threshed. And if it be very rank ground, as is moche at every town side, where cattle doth resort, plough not that land, till ye will sow it. for if ye do, there will come up kedlokes and other weeds. And than sow it with beans. for if ye sow peas, the kedlokes will hurt them. and when ye see seasonable time, sow both peace and beans, so that they be sown in the beginning of March. How shall ye know seasonable time? go upon the land, that is ploughed, and if it sing or cry, or make any noise under thy feet, than it is to weet to sow: and if it make no noise, and will bear thy horses, than sow in the name of god, but how to sow? Put thy peas in to thy hopper, and take a broad thong of ledder, or of garthe web of an elle long, and fasten it to both ends of the hopper, and put it over thy heed, like a leysshe: and stand in the mids of the land, where the sack lieth, the which is most convenient for the filling of thy hopper, and set thy left foot before, and take an handful of peas: and when thou takest up thy right foot, than cast thy peas fro the all abroad, and when thy left foot riseth, take an other handful, and when the right foot riseth, than cast them fro the. And so at every. two. paces, thou shalt an handful of peas: and so see that the foot and the hand agree, and than ye shall sow even. And in your casting, ye must open as well your fingers, as your hand, and the higher, and farther that ye cast your corn, the better shall it spread, except it be a great wind. And if the land be very good, and will break small in the ploughing, it is better to sow after the plough, than tarry any longer.   

¶ Sede of discretion.  
THere is a seed, that is called Discretion, and if a husband have of that seed, and mingle it among his other corns, they will grow much the better. for that seed will tell him, how many casts of corn every land ought to have. And a young husband, and may fortune some old husband, hath not sufficient of that seed: and he that lacketh, let him borrow of his neighbours that have. And his neighbours be unkind, if they will not lend this young husband part of this seed. For this seed of Discretion hath a wonders property: for the more that it is taken of or lente, the more it is. And therefore me seemeth, it should be more spyspirituall than temporal, wherein is a great diversity. For a temporal thing, the more it is divided, the less it is: and a spiritual thing, the more it is divided, the more it is. Verbi gratia. For ensample, I put case a wife bring a loaf of bread to the church, to make holy bread of, when it is cut in many small pieces, and holy bread made thereof, there may be so many men, women, and children in the church, that by that time, the priest hath dealt to every one of them a little piece, there shall never a crume be left in the hamper. And a spiritual thing as a Pater noster, or a prayer, that any man can say, let him teach it to. xx. a. C. or to a. M. yet is the prayer never the less, but moche more. And so this seed of Discretion is but wisdom and reason: and he that hath wisdom, reason, and discretion, may teach it, and inform other men as he is bound to do. wherein he shall have thank of god: and he doth but as god hath commanded him in his gospel, Quoth gratis accepistis, gratis date: That thing that ye took freely, give it freely again, and yet shall ye have never the less.   

¶ How all manner corn should be sown.  
But yet me thinketh it is necessary to declare, how all manner of corn should be sown, and how much upon an acre most commonly, and first of pease and beans. An acre of ground, by the statute, that is to say. xvi. foot and a half, to the perch or pole, four perches to an acre in breadth, and forty perches to an acre in length, may be meetly well sown with two London bushels of pease, the which is but two strikes in other places. And if there be the. iiii. part beans, than will it have half a London bushelle more: and if it be half beans, it will have three London bushels: and if it be all beans, it will have four London bushels fully, and that is half a quarter, because the beans be great, and grow up straight, & do not spread and go abroad as pease do. An acre of good beans is worth an acre & a half of good peace because there will be more bushels. And the best property, that belongeth to a good husband is, to sow all manner of corn thick enough, and specially beans and barley▪ for commonly they be sown upon rank ground, and good ground will have the burden of corn or of weed. And as much ploughing and harowing hath an acre of ground, and sow thereupon but one busshelle, as if he sowed. iiii. bushels. And undoubtedly. i. bushel may not give so moche corn again, as the. iiii. bushels, though the. iii. bushels, that he sowed more, be allowed and set apart. And i. bushel and an half of white or green peas, will sow as much ground, as two bushels of grey peas: and that is because they be so small, and the husband needeth not to take so great an handful. In some countries they begin to sow peas soon after Christmas: and in some places they sow both peas and beans underforowe: and those of reason must be sown betime. But most generally, to begin soon after Candelmasse, is good season, so that they be sown, ere the beginning of March, or soon upon. And specially let them be sown in the old of the moan. For th'opinion of old husbands is, that they should the better cod, and the sooner be ripe. But I speak not of hasty peace, for they be sown before Christmas. etc.   

¶ To sow barley.  
EVery good husband hath his barley fallow well dounged, and dying rygged all the deep and cold of winter, the which rygging maketh the land to be dry, and the dunging maketh it to be melowe and rank. And if a dry season come before Candelmasse, or soon after, it would be cast down and waterforowed between the lands, that the wet rest not in the rain: and in the beginning of March, ridge it up again, and to sow in every acre five London bushels, or four at the least. and some years it may so fortune, that there cometh no seasonabe wether before March, to plough his barley earth. And as soon as he hath sown his peas and beans, than let him cast his barley earth, and shortly after rygge it again: so that it be sown before Apryll. And if the year time be paste, than sow it upon the casting.  
¶ It is to be known that there be three manner of barleys, that is to say, sprot barley, long ear, and bear barley, that some men call big. Sprot barley hath a flat ear most commonly, three quarters of an inch broad, and three inches long, and the corns be very great and white, and it is the best barley. Long ear hath a flat ear, half an inch broad, and four inches and more of length: but the corn is not so great nor so white, and sooner it will turn and grow to oats Bear barleye, or big, would be sown upon light and dry ground, and hath an ear three inches of length or more, set four square, like peck wheat, small corns, and little flower, and that is the worst barley, and four London bushels are sufficient for an acre. And in some countries, they do not sow their barley till may, and that is most commonly upon gravel or sandy ground. But that barley generally is never so good, as that that is sown in March. For if it be very dry wether, after it be sown, that corn that lieth above, lieth dry, and hath no moisture, and that that lieth underneath, cometh up: and when rain cometh, than sprutteth that that lieth above, and oftentimes it is green, when the other is ripe: and when it is thresshen, there is moche light corn. etc.   

☞ To sow oats.  
ANd in March is time to sow oats, and specially upon light ground and dry, how be it they will grow on weter ground, than any corn else: for weet ground is good for no manner of corn, and three London bushels will sow an acre.  
And it is to be known, that there be. three manner of oats, that is to say, red oats, black oats, and rough oats. Red oats are the best oats, and when they be threshed, they be yellow in the bushel, and very good to make otemele of. Black oats are as great as they be, but they have not so much flower in them, for they have a thicker husk, and also they be not so good to make otemele. The rough oats be the worst, and it quiteth not the cost to sow them: they be very light, and have long tails, whereby they will hang each one to other. All these manner of oats wear the ground very sore, and maketh it to bear quyche. A young husband ought to take heed, how thick he soweth all manner of corn, two or three years: and to see, how it cometh up, and whether it be thick enough or not: and if it be thin, sow thycker the next year: and if it be well, hold his hand there other years: and if it be to thin, let him remember himself, whether it be for the unseasonableness of the wether, or for thine sowing. And so his wisdom and discretion must discern it.   

¶ To harowe all manner of corns.  
Now these lands be ploughed, and the corns sown, it is convenient, that they be well harowed, or else crows, doves, and other birds will eat and bear away the corns. It is used in many countries, the husbands to have an ox harowe, the which is made of six small pieces of timber, called harowe bulls, made either of ash or oak, they be two yards long, and as much as the small of a man's leg, and have shoots of wode put through them like lathes, and in every bull are two sharp pieces of iron, called harowe tyndes, set some what a slope forward, and the forms float must be bigger than the other, because the foot team shall be fastened to the same with a shakyll, or a with to draw by. This harrowe is good to break the great clots, and to make moche mould, and than the horse harrows to come after, to make the clots smaller, and to lay the ground even. It is a great labour and pain to the oxen, to go to harowe: for they were better to go to the plough two days, than to harowe one day. It is an old saying, The ox is never woe▪ till he to the harowe go. And it is because it goeth by twytches, and not alway after one draught. The horse harrow is made of five bulls, and pass not an elne of length, and not so much as the other, but they be like sloted and tinded. And when the corn is well covered, than it is harowed enough. There be horse harrows, that have tyndes of wood: and those be used moche about Ryppon, and such other places, where be many bulder stones. for these stones would wear the iron to soon, and those tyndes be most commonly made of the ground end of a young ash, and they be more than a foot long in the begynnyuge, and stand as much above the harowe as beneath. And as they wear, or break, they drive them down lower, and they would be made long before, ere they be occupied, that they may be dry. for than they shall endure and last moche better, and stick the faster. The horses that shall draw these harrows, must be well kept and shod, or else they will soon be tired, and sore beat, that they may not draw. They must have hombers or collars, holmes withed about their necks, tresses to draw by, and a swyngletre to hold the tresses abroad, and a togewith to be between the swyngletre and the harowe. And if the barleye ground will not break with harrows, but be clotty, it would be beaten with malles, and not not straight down. for than they beat the corn in to the earth. And if they beat the clot on the side, it will the better break. And the clot will lie light, that the corn may lightly come up. And they use to role their barley ground after a shower of rain, to make the ground even to mow. etc.   

¶ To fallow.  
Now these husband's have sown their peas, beans, barley, and oats, and harowed them, it is the best time to fallow, in the later end of March and Apryll, for wheat, rye and barley. And let the husband do the best he can, to plough a broad forowe and a deep, so that he turn it clean, and lay it flat, that it rear not on the edge: the which shall destroy all the thistils and weeds. For the deeper and the brother that he goeth, the more new mould, and the greater clots shall he have, and the greater clots, the better wheat. for the clots keep the wheat warm all winter, and at March they will melt and break, and fall in many small pieces, the which is a new dunging, and refreshing of the corn.  
And also there shall but little weeds grow upon the falowes, that are so fallowed. For the plough goth underneath the roots of all manner of weeds, and turneth the root upward, that it may not grow. And if the land be fallowed in winter time, it is far the worse, for three principal causes, One is, all the rain that cometh, shall wash the land, and drive away the dung and the good mould, that the land shall be much the worse. another cause is, the rain shall beat the land so flat, and bake it so hard together, that if a dry May come, it will be to hard to steer in the month of june. And the third cause is, the wiedes shall take such root, ere steering time come, that they will not be clean turned underneath, the which shall be great hurt to the corn, when it shall be sown, and specially in the wedding time of the same. and for any other thing, make a deep hollow forowe in the ridge of the land, and look well, thou rest baulk it not, for if thou do, there will be many thistles: and than thou shalt not make a clean ridge at the first steering, and therefore it must needs be deep ploughed, or else thou shalt not turn the wiedes cle one.   

¶ To carry out dung or muck and to spread it.  
ANd in the later end of Apryll, and the beginning of may, is time to carry out his dung or muck, and to lay it upon his barley ground. And where he hath barley this year, sow it with wheat or rye the next time it is fallowed, and so shall he muck all his lands over at every second fallow. But that husband, that can find the means to carry out his dung, and to lay it upon his land, after it be ones stirred: it is moche better, than to lay it upon his fallow, for divers causes. One is, if it be laid upon his fallow, all that falleth in the hollow ridge, shall do little good for when it is rygged again, it lieth so deep in the earth, thut it will not be ploughed up again, except that when he hath spread it, he will with a shovel, or a spade, cast out all that is fallen in the ridge. And if it be laid upon the stirring, at every ploughing it shall meddle the dung and the earth together, the which shall cause the corn much better to grow and increase. And in some places, they load not their dung, till harvest be done, & that is used in the farther side of derbyshire, called Scaresdale, Halomshyre, and so northewarde toward York and Ryppon: and that I call better than upon the fallow, and specially for barley: but upon the first stirring, is best for wheat and rye. and that his dung be laid upon small heaps nigh together, and to spread it evenly, and to leave no dung there as the muck heap stood, for the moistness of the dung shall cause the ground to be rank enough. And if it be meddled with earth, as sholynges and such other, it will last the longer, and better for barley than for wheat or rye, because of weeds. Horse dung is the worst dung that is. The dung of all manner cattles, that chew their cud, is very good. And the dung of doves is best, but it must be laid upon the ground very thin.   

¶ To set out the sheep fold.  
ALso it is time to set out the sheepfold in May, and to set it uppou the rye ground, if he have any, and to flyte it every morning or night: and in the morning, when he cometh to his fold, let not his sheep out anon, but raise them up, and let them stand still a good season, that they may dung and piss. And go among them, to see whether any of them have any mathes, or be scabbed: and see them three or four times on the one side, and as oft on the other side. And when the kelles begun beside the ground, than let them out of the fold, and drive them to the soundest place of the field. But he that hath a fallow field, several to himself, let him occupy no fold. For folding of sheep maketh them scabbed, and breedeth mathes, and when a storm of ill wether cometh in the night, they can not flee nor go away, and that appeyreth them sore of their flesh. But let that man, that hath such a several fallow field, drive twenty, thirty, or forty stakes, according to the number of his sheep, upon his fallow, where he would set his fold, and specially in the farthest part of the field, from thence as they come in, for the going upon doth moche good. And let the shepherd bring his sheep to the stakes, and the sheep will rub them on the stakes. And let the shepherd go about them, till they be set, and thus serve them two or three nights, and they will follow those stakes, as he flitteth them, and sit by them. And if any ill wether come they will rise up, and go to the hedge. And this manner of folding shall breed no mathes nor scab, nor appeyre them of their flesh, and shall be a great safeguard to the sheep for rotting: and in the morning put them out of their pasture, and thou shalt not need to buy any hurdles nor sheep flekes, but how ye shall salve them or dress them, ye shall understand in the chapter of sheep after.   

¶ To carry wood and other necessaries.  
ANd in May, when thou hast fallowed thy ground, and set out thy sheepfold, and carried out thy dung or muck, if thou have any wood, coal, or tymbre to carry, or such other business, that must needs be done, with thy chart or wain, than is it time to do it. For than the way is like to be fair and dry, and the days long. and that time the husband hath leeste to do in husbandry. peradventure I set one thing to be done at one time of the year, and if the husband should do it, it should be a greater loss to him in an other thing. Wherefore it is most convenient to do that thing first, that is most profitable to him, and as soon as he can do the other labour.   

¶ To know divers manner of weeds.  
IN the later end of may, and the beginning of june, is time to weed thy corn. There be divers manner of weeds, as thistyls, kedlokes, dockes, cocledrake, darnolde, gouldes, haudoddes, dogfenell, mathes, ter, and divers other small weeds. But these be they that grieve most: The thistyll is an ill weed, rough and sharp to handle, and fretteth away the corns nigh it, and causeth the shearers or reapers not to shear clean Kedlokes hath a leaf like rapes, and beareth a yellow flower, and is an ill weed, & groweth in all manner corn, and hath small cods, and groweth like mustard sede. Dockes have a broad leaf, and divers high spires, and very small seed in the top. Cockole hath a long small lief, and will bear five or vi. flowers of purple colour, as broad as a groat, and the seed is round and black, and may well be suffered in bread corn, but not in seed, for therein is much flower Drake is like unto rye, till it begin to seed, and it hath many sedes like fennel sedes, and hangeth downward, and it may well be suffered in bread, for there is moche flower in the sede: and it is an opinion that it cometh of rye. etc. Dernolde groweth up straight like an high grass, and hath long sedes on either side the start, and there is moche flower in that sede, and groweth moche among barley: and it is said, that it cometh of small barley. gold's hath a short jagged leaf, and groweth half a yard high, and hath a yellow flower, as broad as a groat and is an ill weed, and groweth commonly in barley and peace. Hawdod hath a blue flower, and a few little leaves, and hath. v. or two branches, flowered in the top: and groweth commonly in rye upon lean ground, and doth little hurt. Doggefenell and mathes is both one, and in the coming up is like fennel, and beareth many white flowers, with a yellow sede: and it is the worst weed that is, except terre, and it cometh most commonly, when great weet cometh shortly after the corn is sown. Terre is the worst weed, and it never doth appear, till the month of june, and specially when there is great weet in that moan, or a little before, and groweth most in rye, and it groweth like fitches, but it is much smaller, and it will grow as high as the corn, and with the weight thereof, it pulleth the corn flat to the earth, and fretteth the ears away. Wherefore I have seen husband's mow down the corn and it together: And also with sharp hokes to reap it, as they do peace, and made it dry, and than it will be good fodder.  
There be other weeds not spoken of, as dee, nettylles, dodder, and such other, that do moche harm.   

¶ How to weed corn.  
Now it would be known, how these corns should be wedded. The chief instrument to weed with, is a pair of tongues made of wode and in the farther end it is nycked, to hold the wed faster, and after a shower of rain, it is best wedding, for than they may be pulled up by the roots, and than it cometh never again. And if it be dry wether, than must ye have a wedding hook with a socket set upon a little staff of a yard long, and this hook would be well steeled, and ground sharp both behind and before. And in his other hand he hath a forked stick a yard long, and with his forked stick he putteth the weed from him, and he putteth the hook beyond the rote of the weed, and pulleth it to him, and cutteth the weed fast by the earth, and with his hook he taketh up the weed, and casteth it in the reane, and if the reane be full of corn, it is better it stand still, when it is cut, and wyddre: but let him beware, that he tread not to much upon the corn, and specially after it is shot, and when he cutteth the weed, that he cut not the corn: and therefore the hook would not pass an inch wide. And when the weed is so short, that he can not with his forked stick put it from him, and with the hook pull it to him, then must he set his hook upon the weed, fast by the earth, and put it from him, and so shall he cut it clean. And with these two instruments, he shall never stoop to his work. Dogfenell, golds, mathes, and kedlokes are ill to weed after this manner, they grow upon so many branches, hard by the earth: and therefore they use most to pull them up with their hands, but look well, that they pull not up the corn with all, but as for terre, there will no wedding serve.   

¶ The first stirring.  
ALso in june is time to rygge up the fallow, the which is called the first stirring, and to plough it as deep as thou canst, for to turn the roots of the weeds upward, that the son, and the dry wether, may kill them. And an husband can not conveniently plough his land, and load out his dung both upon a day, with one draught of beasts: but he may well load out his dung before none, and load hay or corn at after none: or he may plough before none, and load hay or corn at after none, with the same draught, and no hurt to the cattle: because in loading of hay or corn, the cattle is alway eating or beyting, and so they can not do in loading of dung and ploughing.   

¶ To mow grass.  
Also in the later end of june is time to begin to mow, if thy meadow be well grown: but how so ever they be grown, in july, they must needs mow, for divers causes. One is, it is not convenient, to have hay and corn both in occupation at one time. Another is, the younger, and the green that the grass is, the softer and the sweeter it will be, when it is hay, but it will have the more wyddring, and the elder the grass is, the harder and drier it is, and the worse for all manner of cattle: for the sedes be fallen, the which is in manner of provender, and it is the harder to eat and chowe. And an other cause is, if dry wether come, it will dry and burn upon the ground, and waste away. Take heed that thy mower mow clean and hold down the hinder hand of his sith, that he do not endent the grass, and to mow his swath clean thorough to that that was last mown before, that he leave not a mane between, and specially in the common meadow: for in the several meadow it maketh the less charge, and that the moldywarpe hills be spread, and the sticks clean picked out of the meadow in Apryll, or in the beginning of may.   

¶ How forks and rakes should be made.  
A Good husband hath his forks and rakes made ready in the winter before, and they would be got between Mighelmasse and Martylmasse, and beyked, and set even, to lie upright in thy hand: and than they will be hard stiff and dry. And when the husband sitteth by the fire, and hath nothing to do, than may he make them ready, and tooth the rakes with dry wethy wode, and bore the holes with his wimble, both above and under, and drive the teeth upward fast and hard, and than wedge them above with dry wood of oak, for that is hard, and will drive and never come out. And if he get them in sap time, all the beyking and drienge that can be had, shall not make them hard and stiff, but they will alway be plyenge: for they be most commonly made of hazel and withee, and these be the trees that bloom, and specially hazel: for it beginneth to bloom as soon as the leaf is fallen. And if the rake be made of green wood, the heed will not abide upon the steel, and the teeth will fall out, when he hath most need to them, and let his work, and lose moche hay. And see that thy rake and fork lie upright in thy hand, for and the one end of thy rake, or the side of thy fork, hang down ward, than they be not handsome nor easy to work with.   

¶ To tedde and make hay.  
When thy meadows be mowed, they would be well tedded and laid even upon the ground: and if the grass be very thick, it would be shaken with hands, or with a short pykforke. for good tedding is the chief point to make good hay. and than shall it be wyddred all in like, orels not: and when it is well wyddred on the over side, and dry, than turn it clean before noon, as soon as the dew is gone: And if thou dare trust the wether, let it lie so all night: and on the next day, turn it again before none, and toward night make it in wyndrowes, and than in small hay cocks and so to stand one night at the least, and sweat: and on the next fair day, cast it abroad again, and turn it once or twice, and than make it in greater hay cocks, and to stand so one night or more, that it may ungive and sweat for and it sweat not in the hay cocks, it will sweat in the mow, and than it will be dusty, and not wholesome for horse, beasts, nor sheep. And when it standeth in the cocks, it is better to load, and the more hay may be loaded at a load, and the faster it will lie. Quyche hay cometh of a grass called crofote, and groweth flat, after the earth, and beareth a yellow flower, half a yard high and more, and hath many knots toward the root, and it is the b●ste hay for horses and beasts, and the sweteste, if it be well got, but it will have much more wyddring than other hay, for else he will be piss himself and wax hot, and after dusty. And for to know when it is wyddred enough, make a little rope of the same, that ye think should be most greneste, and twine it as hard together between your hands as ye can and so being hard town, let one take a knife, and cut it fast by your hand, and the knots will be moist, if it be not dry ynough-Shorte hay, and lay hay is good for sheep, and all manner of cattles. if it be well got. A man may speak of making of hay, and getting of corn, but god disposeth and ordereth all thing.   

¶ How rye should be shorn.  
IN THE later end of july, or in the beginning of August, is time to shear Rye, the which would be shorn clean, and fast bounden. And in some places they mow it, the which is not so good to the husband's prefytte, but it is the sooner done. For when it is mown, it will not be so fast bounden: and he can not gather it so clean, but there will be moche loss, and taketh more room in the barn than shorn corn doth. And also it will not keep nor save itself from rain or ill wether, when it standeth in the cover, as the shorn corn will do.   

¶ How to shear wheat.  
Wheat would be shorn clean, and hard bounden in like manner, but for a general rule, take good heed, that the shearers of all manner of white corn, cast not up their hands hastily, for than all the loose corn, and the straws, that he holdeth not fast in his hand, flieth over his heed, and are lost: and also it will pull of the ears, and specially of the corns that be very ripe. In some places they will shear their corns high, to the intent to mow their stubble, either to thank or to bren: if they so do, they have great cause to take good heed of the shearers. for if the ears of the corn croak down to the earth, and the shearer take not good heed, and put up the ear, ere he cut the straw: as many ears as be under his hook or sickle, fall to the earth, and be lost, and when they mow the stubble, it is great hindrance to the profit of the ground. And in Sommersetshire, about Zelcestre and Martok, they do shear their wheat very low, and all the wheat straw, that they purpose to make thank of, they do not thresh it, but cut of the ears, and bind it in sheves, and call it read: and therewith they thank their houses. And if it be a new house, they thank it under their foot: the which is the best and the surest thacking that can be of straw, for crows and doves shall never hurt it.   

☞ To mow or shear barley and oats.  
BArley and oats be most commonly mown, and a man or woman folowythe the mower with a hand rake half a yard long, with. seven. or. viii. tethe, in the lift hand, and a sickle in the right hand, and with the rake he gethereth as much as will make a sheaf. And than he taketh the barley or oats by the tops, and pulleth out as much as will make a band, and casteth the band from him on the land, and with his rake and his sickle, taketh up the barley or oats, & layeth them upon the band, and so the barley lieth unbounden. iii. or. iiii days, if it be fair wether, and than to bind it. And when the barley is led away, the lands must be raked, or else there will be moche corn lost, and if the barley or oats lie, they must needs be shorn.   

¶ To reap or mow peas and beans.  
PEes and beans be most commonly last reaped or mown of divers manners, some with sickles, some with hokes, ●nd some with staff hooks. And in some places they lay them on repes, and when they be dry, they lay them together on heaps, like hay cocks, and never bind them. But the best way is, when the repes be dry, to bind them, and to set them on the ridge of the lands three sheves together, and look that your shearers, repers, or mowers geld not your beans, that is to say, to cut the beans so high, that the nethermost cod grow still on the stalk: and when they be bounden, they are the more readier to load and unload, to make a reek, and to take fro the mow to thresh. And so be not the repes.   

¶ How all manner of corns should be tithed.  
Now that all these corns before specy fy, be shorn, mowed, reaped, bounden up, and laid upon the ridge of the land, let the husband take heed of god's commandment, and let him go to the end of his land, and begin and tell. ix. sheves, and let him cast out the x. sheaf in the name of god, and so to peruse from land to land, till he have truly tithed all his corn. And beware, and take heed of the saying of our lord by his prophet Malachias, the which saith, Quia michi non dedisti decimas et primitias, id circo in fame et penuria maledicti estis. That is to say, Because ye have not given to me your tithes, and your first fruits, therefore ye be cursed, and punished with hunger and penury. And according to that saint Austyn saith, Da decimas, alioqui incides in decimam partem angelorum qui de celo corruerunt in infernum. That is to say, give thy tithes truly, or else thou shalt fall among the tenth part of angels, that fell from heaven in to hell, the which is an hard word to every man, that ought to give tithes, and doth not give them truly. But saint Austyne saith a comfortable word again, to them that give their tithes truly, that is to say: Decimae sunt tributa egentium animarum: Tithes are tributes or rewards to needy souls And ferther he saith: Si decimam dederis, non solum abundantiam fructum recipies, sed etiam sanitatem corporis et animae consequeris, That is to say, If thou have given thy tithes truly, thou shalt not all only receive the profit, and the abundance of goods, but also health of body and soul shall follow. Would to god, that every man knew the hard word of our lord by his prophet Malachias, and also the comfortable words of the holy saint Austyn. For than would I trust verily, that tithes should be truly given.   

¶ How all manner of corn should be covered.  
Now these corns be shorn and bounden, and the tithes cast out, it is time to cover them, shaken them, or half throve them, but covering is the best way of all manner of white corn. And that is, to set four sheves one one side, and. iiii. sheves on the other side, and two sheves above, of the greatest, bounden hard nigh to the neither end, the which must be set upward, and the top downward spread abroad to cover all the other sheves. And they will stand best in wind, and save themself best in rain, and they would be set on the ridge of the land, and the said sheves to lean together in the tops, and wide at the ground, that the wind may go through, to dry them. Pees and beans would be set on the ridge of the land, three sheves together the tops upward, and writhen together, and wide beneath, that they may the better wyddre.   

¶ To load corn, and mow it.  
when all these corns be dry and wyddred enough, than load them in to the barn, and lay every corn by itself. And if it be a weet harvest, make many mows: and if thou have not housing enough, than it is better to lay thy peas and beans without upon a reek, than other corn, and it is better upon a scaffold, than upon the ground: for than it must be well hedged for swine and cattle, and the ground will rot the bottom, and the scaffold saveth both hedging and rotting: but they must be well covered both. And the husband may set sheep or cattle under the same scaffold and will serve him in stead of an house, if it be well and surely made. etc.   

¶ The first stirring.  
IN August, and in the beginning of September, is time to make his second stirring, and most commonly it is cast down and ploughed a mean forowe, not to deep nor to ebb, so he turn it clean. And if it be cast, it would be water forowed between the lands, there as the reane should be, and it will be the drier, when the land shall be sown. And if the lands lie high in the ridge, & high at the reane, & low in the mids of the side, that the water may not run easily in to the reane, as I see daily in many places: than let the husband set his plough. iii. or. iiii foot from the ridge, and cast all the ridge on both sides, and when the ridge is cast, set his plough there as he began, and ridge up the remanant of the land, and so is the land both cast and rydged, and all at one ploughing. And this shall cause the land to lie round, when it is sown at the next time, and than shall it not drown the corn.   

☞ To sow wheat and rye.  
About michaelmas it is time to sow both wheat and rye Wheat is most commonly sown under the forowe, that is to say, cast it upon the fallow, and than plough it under. And in some places they sow their wheat upon their peas stubble, the which is never so good, as that that is sown upon the fallow: and that is used, where they make fallow in a field every fourth year. And in Essex they use to have a child, to go in the forowe before the horses or oxen, with a bag or a hopper full of corn, and he taketh his hand full of corn, and by little and little casteth it in the said forowe. Me seemeth, that child ought to have moche discretion.  
How be it there is much good corn, and rye is most commonly sown above and harrowed, and two London bushels of wheat and rye will sow an acre. Some ground is good for wheat, some for rye, and some is good for both: and upon that ground sow blend corn, that is both wheat and rye, the which is the surest corn of growing, and good for the husbands household. And the wheat, that shall be meddled with rye, must be such, as will soon be ripe, and that is flaxen wheat, polerd wheat, or white wheat. And ye shall understand, that there be divers manners of wheats. Flaxen wheat hath a yellow ear, and bare without anis, and is the brightest wheat in the bushel, and will make the whitest breed, and it will wear the ground sore, and is small straw, and will grow very thick, and is but small corn. Polerde wheat hath no anis, thick set in the ear, and will soon fall out, and is greater corn, and will make white breed. white wheat is like polerde wheat in the bushel, but it hath anis, and the ear is four square, and will make white breed: and in Essex, they call flaxen wheat white wheat. Red wheat hath a flat ear, an inch broad, full of anis, and is the greatest corn, and the brodeste blades, and the greatest straw, and will make white breed, and is the rudest of colour in the bushel.  
english wheat hath a dun ear, few anis or none, and is the worst wheat, save peek wheat. Peeke wheat hath a red ear, full of anis, thine set, and oft times it is flyntered, that is to say, small corn wrynkeled and dried, and will not make white bread, but it will grow upon cold ground.   

¶ To thresh and wynowe corn.  
THis wheat and rye, that thou shalt sow, aught to be very clean of weed, and therefore, ere thou thresh thy corn open thy sheves, and pike out all manner of weeds, and than thresh it, and wynowe it clean, and so shalt thou have good clean corn an other year. And in some countries, about London specially, and in Essex and kente, they do fan their corn, the which is a very good gise, and a great safeguard for shedding of the corn. And when thou shalt sell it, if it be well wynowed or fande, it will be sold the dearer, and the light corn will serve the husband in his house.   

¶ To sever peas, beans, and fitches.  
When thou haste threshed thy peas, and beans, after they be wynowed, and ere thou shalt sow or sell them, let them be well reed with syves, and severed in three parts, the great from the small, and thou shalt get in every quarter a London bushel, or there about. For the small corn lieth in the hollow and void places of the great beans, and yet shall the great beans be sold as dear, as if they were all together, or dearer, as a man may prove by a familiar ensample. Let a man buy. C. herrings, two herrings for a penny, and an other. C. herrings, three for a penny, and let him sell these. CC. hearings again v. herrings for. two d. now hath he lost. iiii. d. For C. hearinges two. for. i d. cost v. s. and C. hearing. iii. for a penny cost. three s. and. iiii. d the which is. viii. s. and. iiii. d. and when he selleth. v. herrings for. two. d xx. herrings cometh but to. viii. d. and there is but. xii. score herrings, & that is but. xii. groats, and. xii. groats, and that cometh but to. viii. s. & so he hath lost iiii. d. and it is because there be not so many bargeins, for in the bienge of these. CC. herrings there be. v. score bargeins, & in the selling of the same there be but. xlviii. bargeyns, and so is there lost. x. hearings, the which would have been. two. bargeyns more, and than it had been even and mete. And therefore he that buyeth gross sale, and retayleth, must needs be a winner. and so shalt thou be a loser, if thou sell thy peas, beans, and fitches together: for than thou sellest gross sale. And if thou sever them in three parts, than thou dost retail, whereby thou shalt win.   

¶ Of sheep, and what time of the year the rams should be put to the ewes.  
AN husband can not well thrive by his corn, without he have other cattle, nor by his cattle, without corn. for else he shall be a bier, a borrower, or a beggar. And because that sheep in mine opinion is the most profytablest cattle, that any man can have, therefore I purpose to speak first of sheep. Than first it is to be known, what time thou shalt put thy rams to thy ewes, and therein I make a distinction, for every man may not put to their rams all at one time: for if they do, there will be great hurt and loss. for that man, that hath the best sheep pasture for winter, and soon springing in the beginning of the year, he may suffer his rams to go with his ewes all times of the year, to blyssomme or ride when they will: but for the common pasture. it is time to put to his rams at the Exaltation of the holy cross: for than the buck goth to the rut, and so would the ramme. But for the common husband, that hath no pasture but the common fields, it is time enough at the feast of saint Mychaell the archangel. And for the poor husband of the Peeke, or such other, that dwell in hilly and high grounds, that have no pastures, nor common fields, but all only the common hethe, Simon and Jude day is good time for them, and this is the reason why. An ewe goth with lamb. xx. weeks, and shall yeane her lamb in the. xxi. week, & if she have not convenient new grass to eat, she may not give her lamb milk: and for want of milk, there be many lambs perished and lost: and also for poverty, the dams will lack milk, and forsake their lambs, and so often times they die both in such hard countries.   

¶ To make an ewe to love her lamb.  
IF thy ewe have milk, and will not love her lamb, put her in a narrow place made of boards, or of smooth trouse, a yard wide, and put the lamb to her, and socle it, and if the ewe smite the lamb with her heed, bind her heed with a hay rope, or a cord, to the side of the pen: and if she will not stand side long all the ewe, than give her a little hay, and tie a dog by her, that she may see him: and this will make her to love her lamb shortly. And if thou have a lamb deed, whereof the dam hath moche milk, flay that lamb, and tie that skin upon an other lambs back, that hath a sorry dam, with little milk, and put the good ewe and that lamb together in the pen, and in one hour she will love that lamb, & than mayst thou take thy sorry weak ewe away, and put her in an other place: and by this means thou mayst fortune to save her life, and the lambs both.   

¶ What time lambs should be waned.  
IN some places they never sever their lambs from their dams, and that is for two causes: One is, in the best pasture where the rams go alway with their ewes, there it needeth not, for the dams will wax dry, and wain their lambs themself. another cause is, he that hath no several and sound pasture, to put his lambs unto, when they should be waned, he must either sell them, or let them suck as long as the dams will suffer them, and it is a common saying, that the lamb shall not rot, as long as it souketh, except the dam want meat. But he that hath several and sound pasture, it is time to wain their lambs, when they be xvi. weeks old, or xviii. at the farthest, and the better shall the ewe take the ram again. And the poor man of the peek country, and such other places, where as they use to milk their ewes, they use to wain their lambs at xii. weeks old, and to milk their ewes five or six weeks. etc. But those lambs be never so good as the other that suck long, and have meat enough.   

¶ To draw sheep, and sever them in divers places.  
THan thou grazier, that hast many sheep in thy pastures, it is convenient for thee, to have a sheepfold made with a good hedge or a pale, the which will receive all thy sheep easily that go in one pasture, set between two of thy pastures, in a dry place, and adjoining to the end of the same, make an other little fold, that will receive lxxxx. sheep or more, and both those folds must have either of them a gate in to either pasture, and at the end of that fold make an other little fold, that will receive. xl. sheep or more, and between every fold a gate. And when the sheep are in the great fold, let. xl. of them or there about, come into the middle fold, and steke the gate. And than let the shepherd turn them, and look them on every side, and if he see or find any sheep, that needeth any helping or mending for any cause, let the shepherd take that sheep with his hook, and put him in the little fold. And when he hath taken all that needeth any mending, than put the other in to whether pasture he will, and let in as many out of the great fold, and take those, that need any handling, and put them into the little fold. And thus peruse them all till he have done, and than let the shepherd go belt, grese, and handle all those that he hath drawn, and than shall not the great flock be tarried nor kept from their meat: and as he hath mended them, to put them into their pasture.   

¶ To belt sheep.  
IF any sheep ray or be filed with dung about the tail, take a pair of sheres, and clip it away, and cast dry muldes thereupon: and if it be in the heat of the summer, it would be rubbed ever with a little terre, to keep away the flies. It is necessary, that a shepherd have a board, set fast to the side of his little fold, to lay his sheep upon, when he handleth them, and an hole bored in the board with an augur, and therein a grained staff of two foot long, to be set fast, to hang his tar box upon, and than it shall not fall. And a shepherd should not go without his dog, his sheep hook, a pair of sheres, and his tar box, either with him, or ready at his sheep fold, and he must teach his dog to bark, when he would have him, to run when he would have him, and to leave running, when he would have him, or else he is not a cunning shepherd. The dog must learn it, when he is a whelp, or else it will not be: for it is hard to make an old dog to stoop.   

¶ To grease sheep.  
IF any sheep be scabbed, the shepherd may perceive it by the biting, rubbing, or scratching with his horn, and most commonly the will will rise, and be thine or bare in that place: than take ●hym, and shed the will with thy fingers, there as the scab is, and with thy finger lay a little tar thereupon, and struck it a length in the bottom of the will, that it be not seen above. And so shed the will by and by, and lay a little tar thereupon, till thou pass the sore, and than it will go no farther.   

¶ To meddle terre.  
LEt thy tar be meddled with oil, goose grease, or capon's grease, these three be the best, for these will make the tar to run abroad: butter and swines grease, when they be melted, are good, so they be not salt, for tar of himself is to keen, and is a fretter, and no healer, without it be meddled with some of these.   

¶ To make broom salve.  
¶ A medicine to salve poor men's sheep, that think tar too costly: but I doubt not, but and rich men know it, they would use the same.  
TAke a sheet full of broom crops, leaves, blossoms, and all, and chop them very small, and than seethe them in a pan of. xx. gallons with running water, till it begin to wax thick like a jelly, than take two pound of sheep suet melted, and a pottle of old piss, and as much brine made with salt, and put all in to the said pan, and stir it about, and than strain it thorough an old cloth, and put it in to what vessel ye will, and if your sheep be new clipped, make it lukewarm, and than wash your sheep there with, with a sponge or a piece of an old mantel, or of falding, or such a soft cloth or will, for spending to moche of your salve. And at all times of the year after, ye may relent it, and need require: and make wide sheydes in the will of the sheep, and anoint them with it, & it shall heal the scab, and kill the sheep lice, and it shall not hurt the will in the sale thereof. And those that be washen, will not take scab after (if they have sufficient meat) for that is the best grease that is to a sheep, to grease him in the mouth with good meat: the which is also a great safeguard to the sheep for rotting, except there come myldewes, for he will choose the best, if he have plenty. And he that hath but a few sheep moderate this medicine according.   

¶ If a sheep have mathes.  
IF a sheep have mathes, ye shall perceive it by her biting, or frisking, or shaking of her tail, and most commonly it is moist and weet: and if it be nigh unto the tail, it is oft times green, and filed with his dung: and than the shepherd must take a pair of sheres, and clip away the will bare to the skin, and take a handful of dry moulds, and cast the moulds thereupon to dry up the weet, and than wipe the muldes away, and lay tar there as the mathes were, and a little farther. And thus look them every day, and mend them, if they have need.   

¶ blindness of sheep, and other diseases, and remedies therefore.  
THere be some sheep that will be blind a season, and yet mend again. And if thou put a little tar in his eye, he will mend the rather. There be divers waters, & other medicyns, that would mend him, but this is most common medicine that shepherds use.   

¶ The worm in the sheeps foot, and help therefore  
THere be some sheep, that hath a worm in his foot, that maketh him halt. Take that sheep, and look between his clese, and there is a little hole, as much as a great pins heed, and therein groweth five or two black hears, like an inch long and more, take a sharp pointed knife, and slit the skin a quarter of an inch long above the hole and as moche beneath, and put thy one hand in the hollow of the foot, under the hinder clese, and set thy thumb above almost at the slit, and thrust thy fingers underneath forward, and with thy other hand, take the black hears by the end, or with thy knives point, and pull the hears a little and a little, and thrust after thy other hand, with thy finger and thy thumb, and there will come out a worm like a piece of flesh, nigh as much as a little finger. And when it is out, put a little tar into the hole, and it will be shortly hole.   

¶ The blood, and remedy if one come betime.  
THere is a sickness among sheep, and is called the blood, that sheep, that hath that, will die suddenly, and ere he die, he will stand still, and hang down the heed, & other while quake. If the shepherd can espy him, let him take and rub him about the heed, & specially adout his ears, and under his eyen, & with a knife cut of his ears in the mids, & also let him blood in a vain under his eien: and if he bleed well, he is like to live, & if he bleed not, than kill him, and save his flesh. for if he die by himself, the flesh is lost, and the skin will be far ruddyer, like blood, more than an other skin shall be. And it taketh most commonly the fattest and best liking.   

¶ The pocks, and remedy therefore.  
THe pocks appear upon the skin, and are like reed pimples, as broad as a farthing, and thereof will die many. And the remedy therefore is, to handle all thy sheep, and to look on every part of their bodies: and as many as ye find taken therewith, put them in fresh new grass, and keep them fro their fellows, and to look thy flock oft, and draw them as they need. And if it be in summer time, that there be no frost, than wash them. How be it some shepherds have other medicines.   

¶ The wode evil, and remedy therefore.  
THere is a sickness among sheep, and is called the wode evil, and that cometh in the spring of the year, and taketh them most commonly in the legs, or in the neck, and maketh them to halt, and to hold their neck awry. And the most part that have that sickness, will die shortly in a day or two. The best remedy is, to wash them a little, and to change their ground, and to bring them to low ground and fresh grass. And that sickness is most commonly on hilly ground, ley ground, and ferny ground. And some men use to let them blood under the eye in a vain for the same cause.   

¶ To wash sheep.  
IN june is time to shear sheep, and ere they be shorn, they must be very well washen, the which shall be to the owner great profit in the sale of his will, and also to the cloth maker. but yet beware, that thou put not to many sheep in a pen at one time, neither at the washing, nor at the shering, for fear of murdering or over pressing of their fellows, and that none go away, till he be clean washen. and see that they, that hold the sheep, by the heed in the water, hold his heed high enough for drowning.   

¶ To shear sheep.  
TAke heed of the shearers, for touching the sheep with the sheres. and specially for pricking with the point of the sheres, and that the shepherd be always ready with his tarboxe to salve them. And see that they be well marked, both ear mark, pitch mark, and radel mark, and let the will be well folden or wounden with a will wynder, that can good skill thereof, the which shall do much good in the sale of the same.   

¶ To draw and sever the bad sheep from the good.  
When thou haste all shorn thy sheep, it is than best time to draw them, and so sever them in divers sorts, the sheep, that thou wilt fede by themself, the ewes by themself, the share hogs and theyves by themself, the lambs by themself, wedders and the rams by themself, if thou have so many pastures for them: for the bigest will beat the weikeste with his heed. And of every sort of sheep, it may fortune there be some, that like not and be weike, those would be put in fresh grass by themself: and when they be a little mended, than sell them, and oft change of grass shall mend all manner of cattle.   

☞ What things rotteth sheep.  
IT is necessary that a shepherd should know, what thing rotteth sheep, that he might keep them the better. There is a grass called sperewort, and hath a long narrow leaf, like a spear heed, and it will grow a foot high, and beareth a yellow flower, as broad as a penny, and it groweth alway in low places, where the water is used to stand in winter. another grass is called penny grass, and groweth low by the earth in a marsshe ground, and hath a leaf as broad as a penny of two pens, and never beareth flower. All manner of grass, that the land blood runneth over, is very ill for sheep, because of the sand and filth that sticketh upon it. All marreys ground, and marsche ground is ill for sheep. the grass that groweth upon falowes is not good for sheep: for there is moche of it weed, and oft times it cometh up by the rote, and that bringeth earth with it, and they eat both. etc. Myldewe grass is not good for sheep, and that ye shall know two ways. One is by the leaves on the trees in the morning, and specially of oaks, take the leaves, and put thy tongue to them, and thou shalt feel like honey upon them. And also there will be many kelles upon the grass, and that causeth the myldewe. Wherefore they may not well be let out of the fold, till the son have domynation to dry them away. Also hunger rot is the worst rot that can be, for there is neither good flesh nor good skin, and that cometh for lack of meat, and so for hunger they eat such as they can find: and so will not pasture sheep, for they selden rot but with myldewes, and than will they have much tallow and flesh, and a good skin. Also white snails be ill for sheep in pastures, and in falowes There is an other rot, which is called pelte rot, and that cometh of great wet, specially in wood countries, where they can not dry.   

¶ To know a rotten sheep divers man●r ways, whereof some of them will not fail.  
TAke both your hands, and twyrle upon his eye, and if he be ruddy. and have reed stryndes, in the white of the eye, than he is sound, and if the eye be white, like tallow, and the stryndes dark celoured, than he is rotten. And also take the sheep, and open the wool on the side, and if the skin be of ruddy colour and dry, than is he sound, and if it be pale coloured and watery, then is he rotten. Also when ye have opened the will on the side, take a little of the will between thy finger and thy thumb, and pull it a little and if it stick fast, he is sound, and if it come lightly of, he is rotten. Also when thou hast killed a sheep, his belly will be full of water, if he be sore rotten, and also the fat of the flesh, will be yellow, if he be rotten. And also if thou cut the liver, therein will be little quikens like flokes, and also the liver will be full of knots and white blisters, if he be rotten. and also seethe the liver, if he be rotten it will break in pieces, and if he be sound, it will hold together.   

¶ To buy lean cattle.  
THese husband's, if they shall well thrive, they must have both kine, oxen, horses, mares, and young cattle, and to rear and breed every year some calves, and fools, or else shall he be a bier. And if thou shalt by oxen for the plough, see that they be young, and not gouty, nor broken of hear. neither of tail, nor of pysell. And if thou buy kine to the pail, see that they be young and good to milk, and feed her calves well. And if thou buy kine or oxen to feed, the younger they be, the rather they will feed, but look well, that the hear stare not, and that he lick himself, and be hole mouthed, and want no teeth. And though he have the gout and be broken, both of tail and pysell, yet will he feed. But the gouty ox will not be driven far and see that he have a broad rib, and a thick hide▪ and to be lose skinned, that it stick not hard nor strait to his rib, for than he will not feed.   

¶ To buy fat cattle.  
IF thou shalt buy fat oxen or kine, handle them, and see that they be soft on the forecroppe, behind the shoulder, and upon the hindermost rib, and upon the hucbone, and the nache by the tail. And see the ox have a great cod, and the cow great navel, for than it should seem, that they should be well talowed. And take heed, where thou byeste any lean cattle or fat, and of whom, and where it was bred. For if thou by out of a better ground than thou haste thyself, that cattle will not like with the. And also look, that there be no manner of sickness among the cattle in that towneshyp or pasture that thou buyest thy cattle out of. For if there be any murrain or long sought, it is great jeopardy: for a beast may take sickness ten or. xii. days or more, ere it appear on him.   

¶ divers sycnesses of cattle, and remedies therefore, and first of murrain.  
ANd if it fortune to fall murrain among thy beasts, as god forbid, there be men enough can help them. And it cometh of a rankness of blood, and appeareth most commonly first in the heed: for his heed will swell, and his eyen wax great and run of water and froth at the mouth, and than he is passed remedy, and will die shortly, and will never eat after he be sick. Than flee him, and make a deep pit fast by, there as he dieth, and cast him in, and cover him with earth, that no dogs may come to the carryen. For as many beasts as feeleth the smell of that carryen, are likely to be infect, and take the skin, and have it to the tanner's to sell, and bring it not home, for peril that may fall. And it is commonly used, and cometh of a great charity, to take the bare heed of the same beast, and put it upon a long pole, and set it in a hedge, fast bounden to a stake, by the high way side, that every man, that rydethe or goeth that way, may see and know by that sign, that there is sickness of cattle in the towneshyp. And the husbands hold an opinion, that it shall the rather cease. And when the beast is slain, there as the murrain doth appear between the flesh and the skin, it will rise up like a jelly and froth an inch deep or more. And this is the remedy for the murrain. Take a small curtain cord, and bind it hard about the beasts neck, and that will cause the blood to come in to the neck, and on either side of the neck there is a vain that a man may feel with his finger: and than take a blood iron, and set it straight upon the vain, and smite him blood on both sides, and let him bleed the mountenance of a pint or nigh it, and than take away the cord, and it will staunch bleeding. And thus serve all thy cattle, that be in that close or pasture, and there shall no more be sick by god's love.   

¶ Long sought, and remedy therefore.  
THere is another manner of sickness among beasts, and it is called long sought, and that sickness will endure lóg, and ye shall per ceive it by his hoisting, he will stand moche, & eat but a little, and wax very hollow & thin. And he will hoist. xx. times in an hour, and but few of them do mend. The best remedy is to keep thy cattle in sundry places, and as many as were in company with that beast, that first fell sick, to let them a little blood. And there be many men, that can sever them, and that is to cut the dewlap before, and there is a grass, that is called feitergrasse, take that grass, and broyse it a little in a mortar, and than put thereof as much as an hens egg in to the said dewlap, and see it fall not out. Thus I have seen used, and men have thought it hath done good.   

¶ Dewbolue, and the hard remedy therefore.  
AN other disease among beasts is called dewbolue, and that cometh, when a hungry beast is put in a good pasture full of rank grass, he will eat so moche, that his sides will stand as high as his back bone, and other while, the one side more than the other, and but few of them will die, but he may not be driven hastily, nor laboured, being so swollen, and the substance of it is but wind: and therefore he would be softly driven, and not sit down. How be it I have seen a man take a knife, and thrust him thorough the skin and the flesh two inches deep, or more, vi. inches or more from the ridge bone, that the wind may come out. For the wind lieth between the flesh and the great paunch.   

¶ Risen upon, and the remedy therefore.  
AN other disease is called risen upon and no man can tell how, nor whereof it cometh: but ye shall perceive that by swelling in the heed, and specially by the eyen, for they will run on water, and close his sight, and will die shortly within an hour or two, if he be not helped. This is the cause of his disease. There is a blister risen under the tongue, the which blister must be slit with a knife a cross. When ye have pulled out the tongue, rub the blister well with salt, and take an hens egg, and break it in the beasts mouth shell and all, and cast salt to it, and hold up the beasts heed, that all may be swallowed down into the body. But the breaking of the blister is the great help, and drive the beast a little about, and this shall save him, by the help of jesus.   

☞ The turn, and remedy therefore.  
THere be beasts that will turn about, when they eat their meat, and will not feed, and is great jeopardy for falling in pyties, dyches, or waters: and it is because that there is a bladder in the forehead between the brain pan and the brains, the which must be taken out, or else he shall never mend, but die at length, and this is the remedy and the greatest cure that can be on a beast. Take that beast, and cast him down, and bind his four feet together, and with thy thumb, thrust the beast in the forehead, and where thou findest the softest place, there take a knife, and cut the skin▪ three or four inches on both sides between the horns, and as moche beneath toward the nose, and flay it, and turn it up, and pin it fast with a pin, and with a knife cut the brain pan. two. inches broad, and three inches long, but see the knife go no deeper than the thickness of the bone for perishing of the brain, and take away the bone, and than shalt thou see a bladder full of water two inches long and more, take that out, and hurt not the brain, and then let down the skin, and sow it fast there as it was before, and bind a cloth two or three fold upon his forehead, to keep it from cold and weet. x. or. xii. days. And thus have I seen many mended. But if the beast be fat, and any reasonable meat upon him, it is best to kill him, for than there is but little loss. And if the bladder be under the horn, it is past cure. A sheep will have the turn as well as a beast, but I have seen none mended.   

☞ The warrybrede, and the remedy therefore.  
THere be beasts that will have warrybredes in divers parts of their body and legs, and this is the remedy. Cast him down, and bind his four feet together, and take a culture, or a pair of tongues, or such an other iron, & take it glowing hot: and if it be a long warrybrede, sear it of hard by the body, and if it be in the beginning, and be but flat, than lay the hot iron upon it, and sear it to the bare skin, and it will be hole for ever, be it horse or beast.   

¶ The foul, and the remedy therefore.  
THere be beasts, that will have the foul and that is between the cleese, sometime before, and some time behind, and it will swell, and cause him to halt, and this is the remedy Cast him down and bind his four feet together, & take a rope of hear, or a hay rope, hard writhen together, and put it between his cleese, and draw the rope to and fro a good season, till he bleed well, and than lay to it soft made terre, and bind a clout about it, that no mire nor gravel come between the clese: and put him in a pasture, or let him stand still in the house, and he will be shortly hole.   

¶ The gout without remedy.  
THere be beasts, that will have the gout, and most commonly in the hinder feet, and it will cause them to halt, and go starkely. And I knew never man, that could help it, or find remedy therefore, but all only to put him in good grass, and feed him.   

¶ To rear calves.  
IT is convenient for a husband to rear calves, and specially those that come between Candelmasse and may, for that season he may spare milk best, and by that time the calf shall be waned, there will be grass enough to put him unto. And at winter he will be big enough to save himself among other beasts, with a little favour. And the dam of the calf shall bull again, and bring an other by the same time of the year: and if thou shalt tarry, till after May, the calf would be weak in winter, and the dam would not bull again: but oft time go barryn And if thou shalt rear a calf, that cometh after michaelmas, it will be costly to keep the calf all the winter season at hay, and the dam at hard meat in the house, as they use in the plain champion country. And a cow shall give more milk with a little grass and straw, dying without in a close, than she shall do with hay and straw, dying in an house. for the hard meat drieth up the milk. But he that hath no pasture, must do as he may, but yet is it better to the house band, to sell those calves, than to rear them, because of the cost, and also for the profit of the milk to his house, and the rather the cow will take the bull. If the husband go with an ox plough, it is convenient, that he rear two ox calves, and two cow calves at the least, to uphold his stock, and if he may do more, it will be more profit. And it is better, to wain thy calves at grass before. And that man, that may have a pasture for his kine, and an other for his calves, and water in them both, may rear and breed good beasts with light cost. And if thou wain thy calves with hay, it will make them have great belies, and the rather they will rot, when they come to grass, and in winter they would be put in a house by themself, and given hay on the nights, and put in a good pasture on the day, and they shall be moche better to handle, when they shall be kine or oxen.   

☞ To geld calves.  
IT is time to geld his oxen calves in the old of the moan, when they be. x. or. xx. days old, for than it is least jeopardy, and the ox shall be the more higher, and the longer of body, and the longer horned: and that may be well proved, to take two ox calves, both of one kind, of one making, and both of one age, geld one of them, and let the other go forth and be a bull, and put them both in one pasture, till they be four or five year old: and than shall ye see the ox calf, far greater every way, than the bull. there is no cause, but the gelding. and if thou geld them not, till they be a year old, there is more jeopardy, he shall be less of body, and short horned.   

¶ Horses and mares to draw.  
A Husband may not be without horses and mares, or both, and specially if he go with a horse plough he must have both his horses to draw, and his mares to bring colts, to uphold his stock, and yet at many times they may draw well, if they be well handled. But they may not bear sacks, nor be ridden upon no journeys, when they be with fool, and specially when they have gone with fool. xx. or. xxiiii. weeks, for than is the greatest jeopardy. For if she be ridden upon, and set up hot or turned out and take cold; she will cast her fool, the which will be a great loss to the husband. For she will labour, and bear when she hath fooled, and draw when she is with fool, as well as the horse. It is convenient for the husband to know, when his mare would be horsed. It is the common saying, that she will take the horse within. ix. or. x. days, next after that she hath fooled: but that saying I hold not with, for and she so do, she will not hold thereto, for the horse doth drive her to it. But. xx. days after, is timely enough to bring her to a horse for she will not hold to it, except she be keen of horsing, and that shall ye know by her shap, for that will twyrle open, and close again many times in an hour: and than bring her to a horse, and let her be with him a day or a night, and that is sufficient. For it is better, to keep the horse from the mares, than to go with them, for divers causes, and specially he shall be more lusty, and the more horse colts shall he get. But he that hath very many mares, may not always attend them, but let them go together, and take as god sends it. Some men hold an opinion, that if the horse be put to the mare in the beginning of the moon, after it be prime, he shall get a horse fool. And some men say the contrary: that if he be put to the mare in the old of the moan, he should get horse fools. And I say, it maketh no matter, whether: for this cause I have proved. I have myself. lx. mares and more, able to bear the horse, and from may day unto saint Barthylmewes' day. I have. v. or. vi. horses going with them both day and night, and at the fooling time I have upon one day a horse fool, and on the next day, or second, a mare fool, and on the third or fourth day next after, a horse fool again, and so every week of both sorts, and by their opinion or reason, I should have. xiiii. days together horse fools, and other. xiiii. days together mare fools. And me seemeth, that those men, that hold that opinion, speak sophystycallye, that if so be, they laid any wagers thereupon, that they should both win in their own conceit by this reason. Whether it were get in the new of the moan or in the old of the moan, it is a horse fool, because a horse gate it, though it be a felly fool and it is a mare fool, because a mare fooled it, though it be a horse colt. And so (Diversis respectibus) their opinions may be true. But of one thing I am certain, that some one horse will get more horse fools, than other horse will do and like wise, a mare will bear more mare fools than some other mare will do, though they be horsed both with one horse. Me seemeth there is no reason why, but the lustynes of the nature of both parts, whether of them, shall have the domination. But and ye have mares of divers colours, than do as I do, sever them in divers parcels, and put to your white mares, a grey horse, or a white horse, that hath no white rathe in the forehead, and to your grey mares a white horse, so that he be not all white skinned about the mouth. And to your mares of colour, that have no white upon them, a coloured horse, that hath much white on him, and to your coloured mares of main white, a horse of colour of main white. And thus shall ye have well coloured colts. It maketh no matter, of what colour the horse be, so he be neither white nor grey. For if ye put a white horse to a coloured mare, she shall have most commonly a sandy colt, like an iron grey, neither like sire nor dam. How be it I have seen and known many mares, that will have their colt like the horse that gate it, the which is against kind of mares, for a man may rather get one good horse, than many good mares.   

☞ The loss of a lamb, a calf, or a fool.  
IT is less hurt to a man, to have his cow cast her calf, than an ewe to cast her lamb. For the calf will soucke as much milk, ere it be able to kill, as it is worth, and of the ewe cometh no profit of the milk, but the lamb. How be it they use in some places to milk their ewes, when they have waned their lambs: but that is great hurt to the ewes, and will cause them, that they will not take the ram at the time of the year for poverty, but go barren. And if a mare cast her fool, that is thrice so great a loss, for if that fool be comen of good breed, as it is necessary every man to provide, for as much costs and charges hath a bad mare as a good, in short space the fool, with good keeping, may be sold for as much money as would buy many calves and lambs.   

¶ What cattle should go together in one pasture.  
Beasts alone, nor horses alone, nor sheep alone, except it be sheep upon a very high ground, will not eat a pasture even, but leave many tufts and high grass in divers places, except it be over laid with cattle. Wherefore know that horses and beasts will agree well in one pasture, for there is some manner of grass, that or horse will eat, and the beast will not eat, as the fitches, flasshes, and low places, and all the hollow bunnes and pipes that grow therein. But horses and sheep will not so well agree, except it be sheep to feed, for a sheep will go on a bare pasture, and will eat the sweteste grass: and so will a horse, but he would have it longer. How be it he will eat as nigh the earth as a sheep, but he can not so soon fill his belly. To an hundred beasts ye may put. xx. horses, if it be low ground, and if there be grass enough, put in an hundred sheep, and so after the rate, be the pasture more or less. And after this manner they may feed and eat the close even, and leave but few tufts. And if it be an high ground, put in more sheep, and less beasts and horses Melch kine, and draft oxen, will eat a close moche barer than as many fat kine and oxen. And a melche cow may have to much meat: for if she wax fat, she will the rather take the bull, and give less milk. lor the fatness stoppeth the poors and the veins, that should bring the milk to the paps And therefore mean grass is best to keep her in a mean estate. And if a cow be fat, when she shall calf, than is there great jeopardy in her, and the calf shall be the less: but ye can not give your draft ox to much meat, except it be the aftermath, of a late mown meadow e. for that will cause him to have the gyrre, and than he may not well labour. And there be to much grass in a close, the cattle shall feed the worse, for a good bit to the earth is sufficient. for if it be long, the beast will bite of the top and no more, for that is sweetest, and the other lieth still upon the ground, and rotteth, and no beast will eat it but horse in winter, but these beasts, horses and sheep, may not be fodered together in winter, for than they would be severed: for else the beasts with their horns, will put both the horses and the sheep, and gore them in their bellies. And it is necessary to make standing cratches, to cast their fodder in, and the staves set nigh enough together, for pulling their fodder to hastily out, for shedding. And if it be laid upon the earth, the fourth part thereof will be lost: and if ye lay it upon the earth, lay it every time in a new place, for the old will mar the new.   

¶ The properties of horses.  
THou grazier, that mayst fortune to be of mine opinion or condition, to love horses and young colts or fools, to go among thy cattle, take heed, that thou be not beguiled, as I have been an hundred times and more. And first thou shalt know, that a good horse hath. liv. properties, that is to say. two. of a man. two of a bauson or a badger. iiii. of a lion. ix. of an ox. ix. of a hare. ix. of a fox. ix. of an ass, and. x. of a woman.  

¶ The two properties, that a horse hath of a man.  
¶ The first is, to have a proud heart, and the second is, to be bold and hardy.   

The. two. properties of a bauson.  
¶ The first is, to have a white race or a ball in the forehead, the second, to have a white foot.   

The. iiii. properties of a lion.  
¶ The first is, to have a broad breast, the second, to be stiff docked, the third, to be wild in countenance, the fourth, to have four good legs.   

The. ix. properties of an ox.  
¶ The first is, to be broad rybbed, the. two. to be low brawned, the third, to be short pasturned, the. iiii. to have great sinews, the fift, to be wide between the challes, the sixth is, to have great nostrils, the. seven. to be big on the chin, the. viii. to be fat and well fed, the. ix. to be upright standing.   

¶ The. ix. properties of an hare.  
¶ The first is stiff eared, the second, to have great eyen, the third, round eyen, the fourth, to have a lean heed, the. v. to have lean knees, the sixth, to be wight on foot, the. seven. to turn upon a little ground, the viii. to have short buttocks, the. ix. to have two good fyllettes   

¶ The. ix. properties of a fox.  
¶ The first is, to be prick eared, the second, to be little eared, the third, to be round syded, the fourth, to be side tailed, the fift, to be short legged, the sixth, to be black legged, the. seven to be short trotting, the. viii. to be well coloured, the. ix. to have a little heed.   

¶ The. ix. properties of an ass.  
¶ The first is to be small mouthed, the second, to be long rained, the. iii. to be thine cressid, the fourth, to be straight backed, the fifth, to have small stones, the sixth, to be lathe legged, the. seven. to be round footed, the eight, to be hollow footed, the. ix. to have a tough hoof.   

¶ The. x. properties of a woman.  
¶ The first is, to be merry of cheer, the second, to be well paced, the third, to have a broad forehead, the fourth, to have broad buttocks, the fifth, to be hard of ward, the sixth, to be easy to leap upon, the. seven to be good at a long journey. the. viii. to be well stirring under a man, the. ix. to be alway busy with the mouth, the tenth, ever to be chowing on the bridle.   

¶ It might fortune I could show as many defantes of horses, as here be good properties, but than I should break my promise, that I made at Grombalde bridge, the first time I went to Ryppon for to buy colts. But it is to suppose, that if a horse want any of these good properties, that he should have a default in the same place. And this is sufficient for this time.    

¶ The diseases and sorance of horses.  
Now it is to be known, the sorance and diseases of horses, & in what parts of their bodies they be, that a man may the rather perceive them. And how be it, that it may be against my profit, yet I will show you such as cometh to my mind.  

The lampas.  
¶ In the mouth is the lampas, & is a thick skin full of blood, hanging over his tethe above, that he may not eat.   

The barbs.  
¶ The barbs be little paps in a horse mouth, and let him to bite: these two be soon helped.   

Mourning of the tongue.  
¶ mourning of the tongue is an ill disease, and hard to be cured.   

Pursy.  
¶ Pursy is a disease in an horse's body, and maketh him to blow short, and appeareth at his nostrils, and cometh of cold, and may be well mended.   

Broken winded.  
¶ Broken wynded is an ill disease, and cometh of running or riding over moche, and specially shortly after he is watered, and appeareth at his nosethryll, at his flank, and also at his tuell, and will not be mended, and will much blow and cough, if he be sore chafed, and it will least appear, when he is at grass.   

Glanders.  
¶ Glanders is a disease, that may be mended, and cometh of a heat, and a sudden cold, and appeareth at his nostrils, and between his chall bones.   

Mourning on the chine.  
¶ mourning on the chine is a disease in curable, and it appeareth at his nosethryll like oak water. A glaunder, when it breaketh, is like matter. Broken winded, and pursyfnes, is but short blowing.   

Stranguellyon.  
¶ Stranguelyon is a light disease to cure, and a horse will be very sore sick thereof, and cometh of a chafing hot, that he sweet, and after it will rise and swell in divers places of his body, as much as a man's fist, and will break by itself, if it be kept warm, or else is there jeopardy.   

The haw.  
¶ The haw is a sorance in a horse eye, and is like a gristle, and may well be cut out, or else it will have out his eye, and that horse that hath one, hath commonly two.   

Blindness.  
¶ A horse will wax blind with labour, and that may be cured betime.   

vives.  
¶ The vives is a sorance under a horse ere, between the over end of the chall bones and the neck, and are round knots between the skin and the flesh like tens balls, and if they be not killed, they will wax quick, and eat the roots of the horse ears, and kill him.   

The cords.  
¶ The cords is a thing that will make a horse to stumble, and oft to fall, and appeareth before the further legs of the body of the horse, and may well be cured in two. places, and there be but few horses, but they have part thereof.   

The farcyon.  
¶ The farcyon is an ill sorance, and may well be cured in the beginning, and will appear in divers places of his body, and there will rise pimples as much as half a walnutshell, and they will follow a vain, and will break by itself. And as many horses as do play with him, that is sore, and gnappe of the matter that runneth out of the sore, shall have the same sorance within a month after, and therefore keep the sick from the hole. And if that sorance be not cured betime, he will die of it.   

A malander.  
¶ A malander is an ill sorance, and may well be cured for a time, but with ill keeping it will come again, and appeareth on the further legs, in the bending of the knee behind, and is like a scab or a skal: and some horses will have two upon a leg, within an inch together, and they will make a horse to stumble, and other while to fall.   

A selander.  
¶ A selander is in the bending of the leg behind, like as the malander is in the bending of the leg before, and is like a malander, and may be well cured.   

A serewe.  
¶ A serewe is an ill sorance, and is like a splent, but it is a little longer and more, and lieth up to the knee on the inner side. And some horses have a through serewe on both sides of the leg, and that horse must needs stumble and fall, and hard it is to be cured.   

A splent.  
¶ A splent is the least sorance that is, that alway continueth except lampas. And many men take upon them to mend it, and do pair it.   

A ryngbone.  
¶ A ryngbone is an ill sorance, and appeareth before on the foot, above the hoof, as well before as behind, and will be swollen three inches broad, and a quarter of an inch or more of height, and the hear will stare and wax thine, and will make him to halt, and is ill to cure, if it grow long.   

Wyndgalles.  
¶ Wyndgalles is a light sorance, and cometh of great labour, and appeareth on either side of the joint above the fetelockes, as well before as behind, and is a little swollen with wind.   

Morfounde.  
¶ Morfounde is an ill sorance, and cometh of riding fast till he sweet, and than set up suddenly in a cold place, without litter, and take cold on his feet, and specially before, and appeareth under the hoof in the heart of the foot, for it will grow down, and wax white, and cromely like a pomis. And also will appear by process by the wrinkles on the hoof, and the hoof before will be thicker, and more brickle, than and he had not been morfounde, nor he shall never tread so boldly upon the hard stones, as he did before, nor will not be able to bear a man a quarter of a year or more, and with good paring and shoeing, as he ought to be, he will do good service.   

The colts evil.  
¶ Colts evil is an ill disease, and cometh of rankness of nature and blood, and appeareth in his scot, for there will he swell great, and will not be hard, and soon cured in the beginning.   

The botts.  
¶ The botts is an ill disease, and they lie in a horse maw, and they be an inch long white coloured, and a reed heed, and as much as a fingers end, & they be quick, and stick fast in the maw side, it appeareth by stamping of the horse, or tumbling, and in the beginning there is remedy enough, and if they be not cured betime, they will eat thorough his maw, and kill him.   

The worms.  
¶ The worms is a light disease, and they lie in the great paunch, in the belie of the horse, and they are shining, of colour like a snake, six inches in length, great in the mids, and sharp at both ends, and as much as a spyndel, and will soon be killed.   

Affreyd.  
¶ Affreyd is an ill disease, and cometh of great labour and riding fast with a continual sweat, and than suddenly to take a great cold, his legs will be stiff, and his skin will stick fast to his sides, and may be well cured.   

Nanylgall.  
¶ Navylgall is a sorance, hurt with a saddle, or with a buckle of a croper, or such other, in the mids of the back, and may be lightly cured.   

A spaven.  
¶ A spaven is an ill sorance, whereupon he will halt, and specially in the beginning, and appeareth on the hinder legs within, and against the joint, and it will be a little swell and hard. And some horses have through spaven, and appeareth both within and without, and those be ill to be cured.   

A courbe.  
¶ A courbe is an ill sorance, and maketh a horse to halt sore, and appeareth upon the hinder legs straight behind, under the camborell place, and a little beneath the spaven, and will be swollen, and ill to cure, if it grow long upon him.   

The string halt.  
¶ The string halt is an ill disease, and maketh him to twyche up his leg suddenly, and maketh him to halt, and cometh oft with a cold, and doth not appear outward.   

Enterfyre.  
¶ Enterfyre. is a sorance, and cometh of ill shoeing, and appeareth oft both behind and before, between the feet against the fetelockes, there is no remedy but good showing.   

Myllettes.  
¶ Myllettes is an ill sorance, and appeareth in the fetelockes behind, & causeth the hear to shed three or four inches of length, and a quarter of an inch in breed, like as it were bare and ill to cure, but it may be perceived, and specially in winter time.   

The pains.  
¶ The pains is an ill sorance, and appeareth in the fetelockes, and will swell in winter time, and oyse of water, and the hear will stare and be thine, and ill to cure, but it will be seen in winter.   

Cratches.  
¶ Cratches is a sorance that will cause a horse to halt, and cometh of ill keeping, and appeareth in the pasturnes, like as the skin were cut overthwart, that a man may lay a white straw, and it is soon cured.   

attaint.  
¶ attaint is a sorance, that cometh of an over reching, if it be before, and if it be behind, it is of the treading of an other horse, the which may be soon cured.   

Gravelling.  
¶ Gravelling is a hurt, that will make a horse to halt, and cometh of gravel and little stones, that goth in between the shove and the heart of the foot, and is soon mended.   

A cloyed.  
¶ A cloyed is an hurt, that cometh of ill shoeing, when a smith driveth a nail in to the quick, the which will make him to halt, and is soon cured.   

The scab.  
¶ There is a disease among horses, that is called the scab, and it is a skorfe in divers places of his body. And it cometh of a poverty and ill keeping, and is most commonly among old horses, and will die thereupon, and may be well cured.   

Lousy.  
¶ There be horses that will be lousy, and it cometh of poverty, cold and ill keeping, and it is most commonly among young horses, and men take little heed unto it, and yet they will die thereupon, and it may be soon cured.   

Warts.  
¶ There is a default in a horse, that is neither sorance, hurt, nor disease, and that is if a horse want warts behind, beneath the spaven place, for than he is no chapmannes' ware, if he be wild, but if he be tame, and have been ridden upon, than Caveat emptor, beware the bier, for the bier hath both his eyen to see, and his hands to handle. It is a saying, that such a horse should die suddenly, when he hath lived as many years as the moan was days old, at such time as he was foaled.   

The saying of the french man.  
¶ These be sorance, hurts, and diseases, that be now come to my mind, and the french man saith, Mort de langue, et de eschine, sount maladies sans medicine. The mourning of the tongue, and of the chine, are diseases without remedy or medicine. And ferther he saith, Guards bien, que il soyt cler de vieu, Que tout travail ne soit perdue: Be well aware, that he be clear of sight, lest all thy travail or journey be lost or night. And because I am a horse master myself, I have showed you the sorance and diseases of horses, to the intent that men should beware, & take good heed what horses they buy of me or of any other. How be it I say to my customers, and those that buy any horses of me, and ever they will trust any horse master or corser, while they live, trust me.    

¶ The diversity between a horse master, a corser, and a horse leech.  
A Horse master is he, that buyeth wild horses, or colts, and breedeth them, and selleth them again wild, or breaketh part of them, and maketh them tame, and than selleth them. A corser is he, that buyeth all rydden horses, and selleth them again. The horse leech is he, that taketh upon him to cure and mend all manner of diseases and sorance that horses have. And when these three be met, if ye had a potycarye to make the fourth, ye might have such four, that it were hard to trust the best of them. It were also convenient to show medicines and remedies for all these diseases and sorances, but it would be to long a process at this time, for it would be as much as half this book. And I have not the perfit cunning, nor the experience, to show medicines and remedies for them all.  
And also the horse leches would not be content therewith for it might fortune to hurt or hinder their occupation.   

¶ Of swine.  
Now thou husband, that haste both horses and mares, beasts, and sheep: It were necessary also, that thou have both swine and bees. for it is an old saying: he that hath both sheep, swine, and bees sleep he, wake he, he may thrive. And that saying is, because that they be those things, that most profit ●iseth of in shortest space, with least cost. Than see how many swine thou art able to keep, let them be bores and sows all, and no hogs. And if thou be able to rear vi pigs a year, than let two of them be bores, and four of them sows, and so to continue after the rate For a boar will have as little keeping as a hog, and is moche better than a hog, and more meat on him and is ready at all times to eat in the winter season, and to be laid in sauce. And a sow, ere she be able to kill, shall bring forth as many pyggs or more, as she is worth, and her body is never the worse, and will be as good baken as a hog, and as little keeping, but at such time as she hath pigs. And if thy sow have more pigs than thou wilt rear, sell them, or eat them, & rear those pigs, that come about lenten time specially the beginning of summer, for they can not be reared in winter, for cold, without great cost.   

☞ Of bees.  
OF bees is little charge, but good attendance at the time that they shall cast the swarm, it is convenient, that the hive be set in a garden, or an orchyarde, where as they may be kept from the north wind, and the mouth of the hive toward the son And in june and july, they do most commonly cast, and they would have some low trees nigh unto them before the hive that the swarm may light upon, and when the swarm is knit, take a hive, and splente it within with three or four splentes, that the bees may knit their comones thereto, and anoint the splentes, and the sides of the hive, with a little honey. And if thou have no honey, take sweet cream, and than set a stole or a form nigh unto the swarm, and lay a clean washen sheet upon the stole, and than hold the small end of the hive downward, and shake the bees in to the hive, and shortly set it upon the stole, and turn up the corners of the sheet over the hive, and to leave one place open, that the bees may come in and out: but thou mayst not fight nor strive with them for no cause, and to lay nettyls upon the bows, where as they were knit, to drive them from that place, and so watch them all that day, that they go not away, and at night, when all be gone up into the hive, take it away and set it where it shall stand, and take away thy sheet, and have clay tempered to lay about it upon the board or stone, where it shall stand, that no wind come in, but the board is better and warmer. And to leave an hole open on the south side, of three inches broad, and an inch of height, for the bees to come in and out. And than to make a covering of wheat straw or rye straw, to cover and house the hive about, and set the hive two foot or more from the earth upon stakes, so that a mouse can not come to it, and also neither beasts nor swine. And if a swarm be cast late in the year, they would be fed with honey in winter, and laid upon a thin narrow board, or a thin sclatte or lead, put it into the hive, and an other thin board would be set before every hives mouth, that no wind come in, and to have four or five little nyckes made on the neither side, that a be may come out, or go in, and so fastened, that the wind blow it not down, and to take it up when he will. And that hive, that is fed, to stop the mouth clean, that other bees come not in, for if they do, they will fight, and kill each other. And beware, that no wasps come in to the hive, for they wyllkyl the bees, and eat the honey. And also there is a be called a drone, and she is greater than an other be, and they will eat the honey, and gather nothing: and therefore they would be killed, and it is a saying, that she hath lost her sting, and than she will not labour as the other do.   

¶ How to keep beasts and other cattle.  
IF a husband shall keep cattle well to his profit, he must have several closes and pastures to put his cattle in. the which would be well quickesetted, diched, & hedged, that he may sever the byggeste cattle from the weykeste at his pleasure, and specially in winter time, when they shall be fodered. And though a man be but a farmer, and shall have his farm xx years, it is less cost for him, and more profit to quyckeset, dyche, and hedge, than to have his cattle go before the herdsman For let the husband spend in three yeees as much money as the keeping of his beasts, swine, and sheep, doth cost him in iii years, than alway after, he shall have all manner of cattle with the tenth part of the cost, and the beasts shall like moche better. And by this reason. The herdsman will have for every beast. two. d. a quarter, or there about: And the swyneherde will have for every swine. i d. at the least. Than he must have a shepherd of his own, or else he shall never thrive. Than reckon meat, drink, and wages for his shepherd, the herdmans' hire, and the swyneherdes' hire, these charges will double his rent or nigh it, except his farm be above. xl. s. by year. Now see what his charges be, in. three years, let him ware as much money in quickesetting, dything, and hedging, and in three years he shall be discharged for evermore, and moche of this labour he and his servants may do with their own hands, and save moche money. And than hath he every field in severaltye. And by the assent of the lords and the tenants, every neighbour may exchange lands with other. And than shall his farm be twice so good in profit to the tenant as it was before, and as much land kept in tillage, and than shall not the rich man over eat the poor man with his cattle, and the fourth part of hay and straw shall serve his cattle better in a pasture, than. iiii. times so moche will do in a house, and less attendance, and better the cattle shall like, and the chief safeguard for corn both day and night that can be.   

¶ To get sets and set them.  
ANd if thou have pastures, thou must needs have quyckesetting, dyching and plasshing. When it is green, and cometh to age, than get thy quyckesettes in the wood country, and let them be of white thorn and crabtree, for they be best, holy and hazel be good. And if thou dwell in the plain country, than mayst thou get both ash, oak, and elm, for those will increase moche wood in short space. And set thy oak sets and the ash. x. or. xii. foot asunder, and cut them as thou dost thy other sets, and cover them over with thorns a little, that sheep and cattle eat them not. And also weed them clean in midsummer moan or soon after: for the weeds, if they over grow, will kill the sets. But get no black thorn for nothing, for that will grow outward into the pasture, and doth much hurt in the grass, and tearing the will of the sheep. It is good time to see quickesettes, fro that time the leaves be fallen, unto our lady day in lente, and thy sandy ground or gravel set first, than clay ground, and than mean ground, and the meadow or marreys' ground last, for the sand, and gravel will dry anon, and than the quyckeset will take no rote, except it have great weate, for the muldes will lie lose, if it be dyched in February or march, and like wise clay ground And make thy sets long enough, that they may be set deep enough in the earth, for than they will grow the better. And to stand half a foot and more above the earth, that they may spring out in many branches. And than to take a line, and set it there as thou wilt have thy hedge, and to make a trench after thy line, and to pair away the grass there the quyckesettes shall be set, and cast it by, where the earth of the dyche shall lie, and dig up the muldes a spade graff deep, and to put in thy sets, and dig up more mould, and lay upon that set, and so peruse, till thou have set all thy sets, and let them leanly toward the dyche. And a soot from that make thy dyche. for if thou make it to nigh thy sets the water may fortune to wear the ground on that side, and cause thy sets to fall down   

¶ To make a dyche.  
¶ If thou make thy dyche four foot broad, than would it be two foot and a half deep. And if it be. v. foot broad, than. iii. foot deep, and so according, and if it be five foot broad, than it would be double set, and the rather it would fence itself, and the lower hedge will serve.   

¶ To make a hedge.  
THou must get the stakes of the heart of oak, for those be best, crabtre, black thorn, and ellore be good. Reed wethy is best in marsshe ground, ash, maple, hazel, and white thorn will serve for a time. And set thy stakes within. two. foot and a half together, except thou have very good eddering, and long, to bind with. And if it be double eddered, it is much the better, and great strength to the hedge, and much longer it will last. And lay thy small trouse or thorns, that thou hedgeste withal, over thy quickesettes, that sheep do not eat the spring nor buds of thy sets. Let thy stakes be well driven, that the point take the hard earth. And when thou hast made thy hedge, and eddered it well, than take thy mall again, and drive down thy edderinges, and also thy stakes by and by. For with the winding of the edderynges thou dost leuse thy stakes, and therefore they must needs be driven new, and hardened again, and the better the stake will be driven, when he is well bounden.   

¶ To plash or pleche a hedge.  
IF the hedge be of. x. or. xii years growing sith it was first set, than take a sharp hatchet, or a handbyll, and cut the sets in a plain place, nigh unto the earth, the more halue asunder, and bend it down toward the earth, and wrap and wind them together, but alway see that the top lie higher than the rote a good quantity, for else the sap will not run in to the top kindly, but in process, the top will die, and than set a little hedge on the back side, and it shall need no more mending many years after. And if the hedge be of. xx. xxiiii. or. thirty. year of age, sith it was first set, than wind in first all the nethermost bows, and wind them together, and than cut the sets in a plain place, a little from the earth, the more half asunder, and to let it slave downward, and not upward, for diverse causes: than wind the bows and branches thereof in to the hedge, and at every two foot. or. three foot to leave one set growing not plasshed, and the top to be cut of four foot high. or there about, to stand as a stake, if there be any such, or else to set an other, and to wind the other that be pl●ched about them. And if the bows, will not lie plain in the hedge, than cut it the more half asunder, and bind it to the hedge, and than shall he not need for to mend the hedge, but in few places, xx. years after or more. And if the hedge be old, and be great stubbes or trees, and thine in the bottom, that beasts may go under, or between the trees: than take a sharp axe, and cut the trees or stubbes, that grow a foot from the earth, or there about, in a plain place, within an inch or two inches of the side and let them slave downward, as I said before, and let the top of the tree lie over the rote of an other tree, and to pleche down the bows of the same tree, to stop the hollow places. And if all the hollow and void places will not be filled and stopped, than scour the old dyche, and cast it up new, and to fill with earth all the void places. And if so be these trees will not reach in every place, to make a sufficient defence, than double quick set it, & diche it new in every place, that is need full, & set a hedge thereupon, and to overlay the sets, for eating of sheep or other cattle.   

¶ To mend a high way.  
ME seemeth, it is necessary to show mine opinion, how an high way should be amended. And first and principally, see that there be no water standing in the high way, but that it be alway currant and running, nor have none abiding more in one place than in an other. And in summer, when the water is dried up, than to get gravel, and to fill up every low place, and to make them even, somewhat descending or currante, one way or other, and if there be no gravel, nor stones to get, yet fill it up with earth in the beginning of summer, that it may be well hardened with carriage and treading upon, and it shall be well amended, if the water may pass away from it, the which would be well considered, and specially about London, where as they make much more cost than needeth, for there they dyche their high ways on both sides, and fill up the hollow and low places with earth, and than they cast and lay gravel a loft. And when a great rain or water cometh, and sinketh thorough the gravel, and cometh to the earth, than the earth swelleth and bolneth, and waxeth soft, and with treading, and specially with carriage, the gravel sinketh, and goeth downward as his nature and kind requireth, and than it is in manner of a quick sand, that hard it is for any thing to go over. But if they would make no dyche in sommertyme, when the warer is dried up, that a man may see all the hollow and low places, than to carry gravel, and fill it up as high as the other knolls be, than would it not bollen ne swell, nor be no quick sand, and every man may go beside the high way with their carriage at their pleasure. And this me seemeth is less cost, and longer will last with a little mending when need requireth. Therefore me thinketh, if this were well looked upon, it should be both good and necessary for that purpose: for so have I seen done in other places, where as I have been. etc.   

¶ To remove and set trees.  
IF thou wilt remove and set trees, get as many roots with them as thou canst, and break them not, nor bryse them, by thy will. And if there be any rote broken and sore bruised, cut it of hard by, there as it is bruised, with a sharp hatchet, else that root will die. And if it be ash, elm, or oak, cut of all the bows clean, and save the top hole. For if thou make him rich of bows, thou makest him poor of thrift, for two causes. The bows causeth them to shake with wind, and to leuse the roots. Also he can not be so clean get, but some of the roots must needs be cut, and than there will not come so moche sap and moistness to the bows, as there did before. And if the tree be very long, cut of the top, two or three yards. And if it be an apple tree, or pear tree, or such other as beareth fruit, than cut away all the water bows, and the small bows, that the principal bows, may have the more sap. And if ye make a mark, which side of the tree standeth toward the son, that he may be set so again, it is so much the better.   

¶ Trees to be set without roots and grow.  
THere be trees will be set without roots, and grow well, and spring roots of themself. And those be diverse apple trees, that have knots in the bows, as casses, or wydes, and such other, that will grow on slavynges, and likewise popeler and wethy: and they must be cut clean beside the tree, that they grow on, and the top cut. clean of. viii. or. x. foot of length, and all the bows between, and to be set a foot deep or more in the earth, in good ground. And ye shall understand, that there be four manner of wethyes, that is to say, white wethye, black wethy, reed wethy, and osyerde wethy. white wethye will grow upon dry ground, if it be set in the beginning of winter, and will not grow in marsshe ground. black wethy will grow better on marsh ground, and red wethy in like manner: and osyerde wethy will grow best in water and moist ground. And they be trees that will soon be nourished, and they will bear moche wood, and they would be cropped every seven or. viii year, or else they will die, but they may not be cropped in sap time, nor no tree else. And in many places, both the lords, freeholders, and tenants at will, set such wethyes, and popelers, in marsshe ground, to nourish wood. etc.   

¶ To fell wood for household, or to sell.  
IF thou have any woods to fell, for thy household to burn or to sell, than fell the under wood first in winter, that thy cattle or beasts may eat and browse the tops, and to fell no more on a day but as much as the beasts will eat the same day, or on the morrow after. And as soon as it is well eaten or broused, than kid it, and set them on the ends, and that will save the bands from rotting, and they shall be the lighter to carry, and the better will they burn, and lie in l●sse room. And when thou shalt bring them home to make a stack of them, set the nethermost course upon the ends, and the second course flat upon the side, and the ends upward, and the third couse flat on the side overthwart the other. And so to peruse them, till thou have laid all up. And when thou shalt burn them, take the overmost first.   

¶ To shred, lop or crop trees.  
IF thou have any trees to shred, lop, or crop for the fire wood, crop them in winter, that thy beasts may eat the browse, and the moss of the bows, and also the yves, And when they be broused and eaten, dress the wood, and bow it clean, and cut it at every byghte, and rear the great wood to the tree, and kid the small bows, and set them on end. And if thou shalt not have sufficient wood, except thou heed thy trees, and cut of the tops, than heed them three or four foot above any timber: and if it be no timber tree, but a shaken tree, or a hedge rote full of knots, than heed him thirty foot high, or twenty at the least, for so far he will bear plenty of wood and bows, and much more, than if he were not heeded. For a tree hath a property, to grow to a certain height, and when he cometh to that height, he standeth still, and groweth no higher, but in breed: and in conclusion, the top will die and decrease, and the body thrive. And if a tree be heeded, and used to be lopped and cropped at every xii or. xvi. years end, or there about, it will bear much more wood, by process of time, than if it were not cropped, and much more profit to the owner.   

¶ How a man should shred, lop, or crop trees.  
IT is the common guise, to begin at the top of the tree, when he shall be shred or cropped, because each bough should lie upon other, when they shall fall so that the weight of the bows shall cause them to be the rather cut down. But that is not best, for that causeth the bows to slave down the neither part, and pulleth away the bark from the body of the tree, the which will cause the tree to be hollow in that place in time coming, and many times it shall hinder him. And therefore let him begin at the nethermost bough first, and with a light axe for an hand, to cut the bough on both sides, a foot or two foot from the body of the tree. And specially cut it more on the neither side, than on the over side, so that the bough fall not straight down, but turn on the side, and than shall it not slave nor break no bark. And every bough will have a new heed, and bear much more wood. and by thy will, without thou must needs do it, crop not thy tree, nor specially heed him, when the wind standeth in the north, or in the east. And beware, that thou crop him not, nor heed him (specially) in sap time, for than will he die within few years after, if it be an oak.   

¶ To sell wood or timber.  
IF thou have any wood to sell, I advise thee, retail it thyself, if thou mayst attend upon it: and if not, than to cause thy bailiff, or some other wise or discrete man, to do it for the. And if it be small wode, to kid it, and sell it by the hundreds, or by the thousands. And if there be ashes in it, to sell the small ashes to cowpers for garhes, and the great ashes to wheel wryghtes, and the mean ashes to plough wrights, and the crab trees to millers, to make cogs, and ronges. And if there be any oaks, both great and small, fell them, and pill them, and sell the bark by itself, and than sort the trees, the poles by themself, the middle short by themself, and the greatest by themself, & than sell them by scores, or half scores, or. C. as thou mayst, and to fell it hard by the earth, for i foot next unto the earth, is worth. two. foot in the top, and to cut thy timber long enough, that thou leave no timber in the top. And to sell the tops as they lie a great, or else dress them & sell the great wood by itself, & the kid wood by itself, and to fall the under wode first at any time between Martilmas and holyrode day And all the ashes, between Martylmasse and Candelmas, and all oaks, as soon as they will pill, until May be done, and not after. peradventure the greatest man hath not the best provision. And that is because the servants will not inform him these ways, and also may fortune they would buy such woods themself, or be partner of the same, and to advise his lord to sell them. It is not convenient, that the salesman, that selleth the wood, should be partner with the bier.   

¶ To keep spring wood.  
IN the winter before that thou wilt fell thy wood, make a good and a sure hedge▪ that no manner of cattle can get in. And as shortly as it is fallen, let it be carried away, or the spring come up, for else the cattle, that doth carry the wood, will eat the spring: and when the top is eaten, or broken, it is a great let, hurt, and hindrance of the goodness of the spring, for than where it is eaten, it burges out of many branches, and not so fair as the first would have been. A park is best kept, when there is neither man, dog, nor four footed beast therein, except dear. And so is a spring best kept, where there is neither man nor four footed beasts within the hedge. But if there be moche grass, and thou were loath to lose it, than put in calves, newly waned and taken from their dams, and also waning colts, or horses not passed a year of age: and let thy calves be taken away at may, the colts may go longer, for eating of any wood, but there is jeopardy both for calves, fools, and colts, for tyckes, or for being lousy, the which will kill them, if they be not taken heed unto. And seven years is the jest, that it will save itself, but. x years is best. And than the under bows would be cut away, and made kids thereof, and the other will grow much the better and faster. And if the under bows be not cut away, they will die, and than they be lost, and great hurt to the spring, for they take away the sap, that should cause the spring to grow better.   

¶ Necessary things belonging to graffing.  
IT is necessary, profitable, and also a pleasure, to a husband, to have pears, wardens, and apples of diverse sorts. And also cherries, filberts, bulleys, dampsons, plums, walnuts, and such other. And therefore it is convenient, to learn how then shalt graff. Than it is to be known, what things thou must have to graff withal. Thou must have a graffing saw, the which would be very thin, and thick toothed, and because it is thin, it will cut the narrower kyrfe, and the cleaner for bruising of the bark. And therefore it is set in a compass piece of iron, six inches of, to make it stiff and big. thou must have also a graffing knife, an inch broad, with a thick back, to cleave the stock with all. And also a mallet, to drive the knife and thy wedge in to the tree: and a sharp knife, to pair the stocks heed, and an other sharp knife, to cut the graff clean. And also thou must have two wedges of hard wood, or else of iron, a long small one, for a small stock, and a brother, for a bigger stock, to open the stock, when it is cloven and pared: and also good tough clay and moss, and also bastes or pilling of wethy or elm, to bind them with. etc.   

¶ What fruit should be first graffed.  
Pears and wardens would be graffed before any manner of apples, because the sap cometh sooner and rather in to the pear tree and warden tree, than in to the apple tree. And after saint Valentynes' day, it is time to graff both pears and wardens, till March be comen, and than to graff apples to our lady day. And than graff that that is get of an old apple tree first, for that will bud before the graff get of a young apple tree late graffed. And a pear or a warden would be graffed in a ●yrre stock, and if thou canst get none, than graff it in a crab tree stock, and it will do well. and some men graff them in a white thorn, and than it will be the more harder and stony. And for all manner of apples, the crabtree stock is best.   

¶ How to graff.  
THou must get thy graffs of the fairest lanses, that thou canst find on the tree, and see that it have a good knot or joint, and an even. Than take thy saw, and saw in to thy cabbetree, in a fair plain place, pare it even with thy knife, and than cleave the stock with thy great knife and thy mallet, and set in a wedge, and open the stock, according to the thickness of thy graff, than take thy small sharp knife, and cut the graff on both sides in the joint, but pass not the mids thereof for nothing, and let the inner side, that shall be set in to the stock, be a little th'inner than the utter side, and the neither point of the graff the th'inner: than prefer thy graff in to the stock, and if it go not close, than cut the graff or the stock, till they close clean, that thou canst not put the edge of thy knife on neither side between the stock and the graff, and set them so, that the tops of the graff bend a little outward, and see that the wood of the graff be set meet with the wood of the stock, and the sap of the stock may run straight and even with the sap of the graff. for the bark of the graff is never so thick as the bark of the stock. And therefore thou mayst not set the barks meet on the utter side, but on the inner side: than pull away thy wedge: and it will stand moche faster. Than take tough clay, like marley, and lay it upon the stock heed, and with thy finger lay it close unto the graff, and a little under the heed, to keep it moist, and that no wind come into the stock at the cleaving. Than take moss, and lay thereupon, for chyning of the clay: than take a baste of white wethy or elm, or half a briar, and bind the moss, the clay, and the graff together, but be well aware, that thou, break not thy graff, neither in the clayenge, nor in the binding, and thou must set some thing by the graff, that crows, nor birds do not light upon thy graff. for if they do, they will break him. etc.   

¶ To graff between the bark and the tree.  
THere is an other manner of graffing than this and sooner done, & sooner to grow: but it is more jeopardy for wind when it beginneth to grow. Thou must saw thy stock, and pair the heed thereof, as thou didst before, but cleave it not: than take thy graff, and cut it in the joint to the mids, and make the tenant thereof half an inch long, or a little more, all on the one side, and pair the bark away a little at the point on the other side. than thou must have made ready a ponch of hard wood, with a stop and a tenant on the one side, like to the tenant of the graff. Than put the tenant of the ponche between the bark & the wood of the stock, and pull it out again, and put in the graff, and see that it join close, or else mend it. And this can not fail, for now the sap cometh on every side, but it will spring so fast, that if it stand on plain ground, the wind is likely to blow it beside the heed, for it hath no fastness in the wood. And this is best remedy for blowing of, to cut or clip away some of the nethermooste leaves as they grow. And this is the best way to graff, and specially a great tree: than clay it, and bind it as thou didst the other. etc.   

¶ To nourish all manner of stone fruit, and nuts.  
AS for cherries, dampsons, bulleys, plums, and such other, may be set of stones, and also of the sciences, growing about the tree of the same, for they will soonest bear. filberts and walnuts may be set of the nuts in a garden, and after removed and set where he will But when they be removed, they would be set upon as good a ground, or a better, or else they will not like.   

¶ A short information for a young gentleman, that intendeth to thrive.  
I advise him to get a copy of this present book, and to read it from the beginning to the ending, whereby he may perceive the chapters and contents of the same, and by reason of oft reading, he may wax perfit, what should be done at all seasons. For I learned two verses at grammar school, and they be these: Gutta cavat lapidem non vi, sed saepe cadendo: Sic homo fit sapiens non vi, sed saepe legendo: A drop of water pierceth a stone, not all only by his own strength, but by his often falling. Right so a man shall be made wise, not all only by himself, but by his oft reading. And so may this young gentyllman, according to the season of the year, read to his servants what chapter he will. And also for any other manner of profit contained in the same, the which is necessary for a young husband, that hath not the experience of housbandrye, nor other things contained in this present book, to take a good remembrance and credence thereunto, for there is an old saying, but of what authority I can not tell: Quod melior est practica rusticorum, q scientia philo sophorum, It is better the practive or know league of an husband man well proved, than the science or cunning of a philosopher not proved, for there is nothing touching husbandry, and other profits contained in this present book, but I have had the experience thereof, and proved the same. And over and beside all this book, I will advise him to rise betime in the morning, according to the verse before spoke of Sanat, sanctificat, et ditat surgere mane: And to go about his closes, pastures, fields, and specially by the hedges, & to have in his purse a pair of tables, and when he seeth any thing, that would be amended, to write it in his tables: as if he find any horses, mares, beasts, sheep, swine, or geese in his pastures, that be not his own: And peradventure though they be his own, he would not have them to go there, or to find a gap, or a sherde in his hedge, or any water standing in his pastures upon his grass, whereby he may take double hurt, both loss of his grass, and rotting of his sheep and calves. And also of standing water in his corn fields at the lands ends, or sides, and how he would have his lands ploughed, donged, stirred, or sown And his corn wedded or shorn or his cattle shifted out of one pasture into an other, and to look what dyching, quicsetting, or plashing is necessary to be had, and to over see his shepherd, how he handleth and ordereth his sheep, and his servants how they plough and do their work, or if any gate he broken down, or want any staves, and go not lightly to open and tyne, and that it do not trail, and that the winds blow it not open, with many more necessary things that are to be looked upon. For a man alway wandering or going about somewhat, findeth or seeth that is amiss, and would be amended. And as soon as he seeth any such defaults, than let him take out his tables, and write the defaults. And when he cometh home to dinner, supper, or at night, than let him call his bailie, or his heed servant, and so show him the defaults, that they may be shortly amended. And when it is amended, than let him put it out of his tables. For this used I to do. x. or. xii. years and more. and thus let him use daily, and in short space, he shall set moche things in good order, but daily it will have mending. And if he can not write, let him nycke the defaults upon a stick, and to show his bayely, as I said before. Also take heed both early and late, at all times, what manner of people resort and come to thy house, and the cause of their coming, and specially if they bring with them pitchers, cans, tancardes, bottelles, bags, wallettes, or bushel pokes. For if thy servants be not true, they may do the great hurt, and themself little advantage. Wherefore they would be well looked vopon. And he that hath. two. true servants, a man servant, and an other a woman servant, he hath a great treasure, for a true servant will do justly himself, and if he see his fellows do amiss, he will bid them do no more so, for if they do, he will show his master thereof: and if he do not this, he is not a true servant.   

¶ A lesson made in English verses to teach a gentylmans' servant, to say at every time, when he taketh his horse for his remembrance, that he shall not forget his gear in his inn behind him.  
PVrse, dagger, cloak, night cap, kerchef, shoeing horn, boget, and shoes. Spear, male, hood, halter, sadelclothe, spurs, hat, with thy horse comb. Bow, arrows, sword, buckler, horn, leisshe, gloves, string, and thy bracer. Pen, paper, ink, parchment, reedwaxe, pommes, books, thou remember. Penknyfe, comb, thymble, needle, thread, point, lest that thy gurthe break. Bodkyn, knife, lyngel, give thy horse meat, see he be showed well. Make merry, sing and thou can, take heed to thy gear, that thou lose none.   

¶ A prologue for the wives occupation.  
Now thou husband, that haste done thy diligence and labour, that longeth to an husband, to get thy living, thy wives, thy children's, and thy servants: yet are there other things, that must needs be done, or else thou shalt not thrive. For there is an old common saying, that seldom doth the husband thrive, without the leave of his wife. By this saying it should seem, that there be other occupations and labours, that be most convenient for the wives to do. And how be it that I have not the experience of all their occupations and work, as I have of husbandry, Yet a little will I speak, what they ought to do, though I tell them not how they should do, and exercise their labours and occupations.   

¶ A lesson for the wife.  
But yet ere I begin to show the wife, what work she shall do, I will first teach her a lesson of Solomon, as I did to her husband a lesson of the philosopher, and that is, that she should not be idle at no time: for Solomon saith, Ociosus non gaudebit cum electis in caelo: sed lugebit in aeternum cum reprobis in inferno: That is to say, The idle folk shall not joy with the chosen folks in heaven, but they shall sorrow with the reproved and forsaken folks in hell. And saint Iherom saith: Semper boni operis aliquid facito, ut te diabolus inveniar occupatum: Quia sicut in aqua stante generantur vermes: sic in homine ocioso generantur malae cogitationes: That is to say Alway be doing of some good works, that the devil may find the ever occupied: for as in standing water are engendered worms, right so in an idle body are engendered idle thoughts. Here mayst thou see, that of idleness cometh damnation, and of good work and labour cometh salvation. Now art thou at thy liberty, to choose whether way thou wilt, wherein is a great diversity. And he is an unhappy man or woman, that god hath given both wit and reason, and putteth him in chose, and will choose the worst part. Now thou wife, I trust to show to the divers occupations, work, and labours, that thou shalt not need to be idle no time of the year.   

¶ What things the wife is bounden of right to do.  
FIrst and principally the wife is bound of right to love her husband, above father and mother, and above all other men. For our lord saith in his gospel: Relinquet patrem et matrem, et abhaerebit uxori suae: A man should leave father and mother, and draw to his wife: and the same wise a wife, should do to her husband. And are made by the virtue of the sacrament of holy scripture, one flesh, one blood, one body, and two souls. wherefore their hearts, their minds, their work, and occupations, should be all one, never to sever nor change, during their natural lives, by any man's act or deed, as it is said in the same gospel. Quod deus coniunxit, homo non separet: That thing, that god hath joined together, no man may sever nor depart. Wherefore it is convenient, that they love each other, as effectually as they would do their own self. etc.   

¶ What work a wife should do in general.  
FIrst in a morning when thou art waked, and purposest to rise, lift up thy hand, and bless thee, and make a sign of the holy cross, In nomine patris, et filii, et spiritus sancti. Amen. In the name of the father, the son, and the holy ghost. And if thou say a Pater noster, an ave, and a Crede, and remember thy maker, thou shalt speed much the better. And when thou art up and ready, than first sweep thy house, dress up thy dyssheborde, and set all things in good order within thy house: milk thy kine, secle thy calves, sye up thy milk, take up thy children, and array them, and provide for thy husbands brekefaste, dinner, souper, and for thy children, and servants, and take thy part with them. And to ordain corn and malt to the mill, to bake and brew withal when need is. And meet it to the mill, and fro the mill, and see that thou have thy measure again beside the tolle, or else the miller dealeth not truly with thee, or else thy corn is not dry as it should be. Thou must make butter, and cheese when thou mayst, serve thy swine both morning and evening, and give thy poleyn meat in the morning, and when time of the year cometh, thou must take heed, how thy hens, ducks, and geese do lay, and to gather up their eggs, and when they wax brodye, to set them there as no beasts, swine, nor other vermyn hurt them. And thou must know, that all hole footed fowls will sit a month, and all cloven footed fowls will sit but three weeks, except a peyhenne, and great fowls, as crane's, bustard●s, and such other. And when they have brought forth their birds, to see, that they be well kept from the gleyd, crows, fullymartes, and other vermynne. And in the beginning of March, or a little afore, is time for a wife to make her garden, and to get as many good sedes and herbs, as she can, and specially such as be good for the pot, and to eat: and as oft as need shall require, it must be wedded, for else the weeds will overgrow the herbs. And also in March is time to sow flax and hemp, for I have hard old houswyves' say, that better is March hurdes, than Apryll flax, the reason appeareth: but how it should be sown, wedded, pulled, repeyled, watered, washen, dried, beaten, braked, tawed, hecheled, spon, wounden, wrapped, and woven, it needeth not for me to show, for they be wise enough, and thereof may they make sheets, bordclothes towels, shirts, smocks, and such other necessaries, and therefore let thy distaff be alway ready for a pastime, that thou be not idle. And undoubted a woman can not get her living honestly with spinning on the distaff, but it stoppeth a gap, and must needs be had. The bowls of flax, when they be ripeled of, must be rideled from the weeds, and made dry with the son, to get out the sedes. How be it, one manner of linseed, called looken sede, will not open by the son: and therefore, when they be dry, they must be sore bruised and broken, the wives know how, and than winnowed and kept dry, till year time come again. Thy female hemp must be pulled from the churl hemp, for that beareth no seed, and thou must do by it, as thou didst by the flax. The churl hemp beareth seed, and beware that birds eat it not, as it groweth: the hemp thereof is not so good, as the female hemp, but yet it will do good service. May fortune sometime, that thou shalt have so many things to do, that thou shalt not well know, where is best to begin. Than take heed, which thing should be the greatest loss, if it were not done and in what space it would be done: than think what is the greatest loss, & there begin. But in case that thing, that is of greatest loss, will be long in doing, and thou mightst do three or four other things in the mean while, than look well, if all these things were set together, which of them were the greatest loss, and if all these things be of greater loss, and may be all done in as short space, as the other, than do thy many things first.  
¶ It is convenient for a husband, to have sheep of his own for many causes, and than may his wife have part of the will, to make her husband and herself some clothes. And at the least way, she may have the locks of the sheep, either to make clothes or blankettes, and coverlets, or both. and if she have no will of her own, she may take will to spin of cloth makers, and by that means she may have a convenient living, and many times to do other work. It is a wives occupation, to wynowe all manner of corns, to make malt, to wash and wring, to make hay, shear corn, and in time of need to help her husband to fill the muck wayve or dung cart, drive the plough, to loode hay, corn, and such other. And to go or ride to the market, to sell butter, cheese, milk, eggs, chekyns, capons, hens, pigs, geese and all manner of corns. And also to buy all manner of necessary things belonging to household, and to make a true reckoning and a count to her husband, what she hath received, and what what she hath paid. And if the husband go to the market, to buy or sell, as they oft do, he than to show his wife in like manner. For if one of them should use to deceive the other, he deceiveth himself, and he is not like to thrive. and therefore they must be true either to other. I could peradventure show the husband's diverse points, that the wives deceive them in: and in like manner, how husbands deceive their wives: but if I should do so, I should show more subtle points of deceit, than either of them knew of before. and therefore me seemeth best, to hold my peace, lest I should do as the knight of the tour did, the which had many fair daughters, and of fatherly love that he ought to them, he made a book, to a good intent, that they might eschew and flee from vices, and follow virtues. In the which book he showed, that if they were wooed, moved, or stirred by any man, after such a manner as he there showed, that they should withstand it. In the which book he showed so many ways, how a man should attain to his purpose, to bring a woman to vice, the which ways were so natural, and the ways to come to their purpose, were so subtilely contrived, and craftily showed, that hard it would be for any woman to resist or deny their desire. And by the said book hath made both the men and the women to know more vices, subtlety, and craft, than ever they should have known, if the book had not been made: in the which book he named himself the knight of the tower. And thus I leave the wives, to use their occupations at their own discretion.   

¶ To keep measure in spending.  
Now thou husband and housewife, that have done your diligence, and cure, according to the first article of the philosopher, that is to say. Adhibe curam. And also have well remembered the saying of wise Solomon, Quod ociosus non gaudebit cum electis in caelo: sed lugebit in aeternum cum reprobis in inferno: then ye must remember, observe, and keep in mind, the second article of the saying of the philosopher, that is to say. Tene mensuram, That is to say in english, hold and keep measure. And according to that fayenge, I learned two verses at grammar school, and they be these, Qui plus expendit, quam rerum copia tendit: Non admiretur, fi pauper tate gravetur: He that doth more expend, than his goods will extend, marvel it shall not be, though he be grieved with poverty, And also according to that saying speaketh sayncte Paul and saith, juxta facultates faciendi sunt sumptus, ne longi temporis victum, brevis hora consumat: That is to say, Ater thy faculty or thy havour, make thine expenses, lest thou spend in short space, that thing, that thou shouldest live by long. This text toucheth every man, from the highest degree to the lowest. wherefore it is necessary to every man and woman to remember and take good heed there unto, for to observe keep and follow the same, but because this text of saint Paul is in latin, and husbands commonely can but little latin. I fear, least they can not understand it. And though it were declared once or twice to them, that they would forget it: Wherefore I shall show to them a text in english, and that they may well understand, and that is this, Eat within thy tedure   

¶ To eat within the tedure.  
THou husband and housewife, that intent to follow the saying of the philosopher, that is to say, keep measure, you must spare at the brink, and not at the bottom, that is to understand, in the beginning of the year, selling of thy corns, or spending in thy house, unto the time that thou have sown again thy winter corn, and thy lente corn, and than see what remaineth, to serve thy house, and of the overplus thou mayst sell and buy such other necessaries, as thou must needs occupy. And if thou spend it in the beginning of the year, and shall want in the hinder end, than thou dost not eat within thy tedure, and at the last thou shalt be punished, as I shall prove the by ensample. Take thy horse, and go tedure him upon thine own lees, flit him, as oft as thou wilt, no man will say wrong thou dost, but make thy horse to long a tedure, that when thou hast tied him upon thine own lees, his tedure is so long, that it reacheth to the mids of an other man's lees or corn: Now haste thou given him to much liberty, and that man, whose corn or grass thy horse hath eaten, will be grieved at thee, and will cause the to be amerced in the court, or else to make him amends, or both. And if thy horse break his tedure, and go at large in every man's corn and grass, than cometh the pynder, and taketh him, and putteth him in the pynfolde, and there shall he stand in prison, without any meat, unto the time thou hast paid his ransom to the pynder, and also make amends to thy neighbours, for distroyenge of their corn. Right so, as long as thou eatest within thy tedure, that thou needest not to beg nor borrow of no man, so long shalt thou increase and grow in richesse, and every man will be content with the. And if thou make thy tedure to long, that thine own portion will not serve thee, but that thou shalt beg, borrow, or buy of other: that will not long endure, but thou shalt fall in to poverty. And if thou break thy tedure, and ren riot at large, and know not other men's goods from thine own, than shall the pynder, that is to say, the sheriff and the bailie areste thee, and put the in the pynfolde, that is to say, in prison, there to abide till the truth be known: and it is marvel, if thou scape with thy life, and therefore eat within thy tedure.   

¶ A short lesson for the husband.  
ONe thing I will advise the to remember, and specially in winter time, wh● thou sytteste by the fire, and hast supped, to consider in thy mind, whether the work, that thou, thy wife, & thy servants shall do, be more advantage to thee, than the fire, and candle light, meat and drink that they shall spend, and if it be more advantage, than sit still: and if it be not, than go to thy bed and sleep, and be up betime, and break thy fast before day, that thou mayst be all the short winters day about thy business. At grammar school I learned a verse, that is this, Sanat, sanctificat, et ditat surgere mane. That is to say, early rising maketh a man hole in body, holer in soul, and richer in goods. And this me seemeth should be sufficient instruction for the husband to keep measure.   

¶ How men of high degree do keep measure.  
TO me it is doubtful, but yet me seemeth, they be rather to liberal in expenses, than to scarce, and specially in three things. The first is prodigality in outrageous and costly array, far above measure: the second thing is costly charge of delicious meats and drinks: the third is outrageous play and game, far above measure. And now to the first point.   

¶ Prodigalite in outrageous and costly array.  
I Have seen books of account of the yeomen of the wardrobes of noble men, and also inventories made after their decease of their apparel, and I doubt not, but at this day, it is. xx. times more in value, than it was to such a man of degree as he was an. C. year a go: and many times it is given away, ere it be half worn, to a simple man, the which causeth him to wear the same: and an other simple man, or a little better, saying him to wear such raiment, thinketh in his mind, that he may were as good raiment as he, and so causeth him to buy such other, to his great cost and charge, above measure, and an ill ensample to all other. and also to see men's servants so abused in their array, their coats be so side, that they be fain to tuck them up when they ride, as women do their kyrtels when they go to the market or other places, the which is an unconvenient sight. And furthermore, they have such pleytes upon their breasts, and ruffs upon their sleeves, above their elbows, that if their master, or themself had never so great need, they could not shoot one shoot, to hurt their enemies, till they had cast of their coats, or cut of their sleeves. This is far above measure, or common weal of the realm. This began first with honour, worship, and honesty, and it endeth in pride, presumption, and poverty. Whereof speaketh saint Austin, Quencunque superbum esse videris, diaboli filium esse ne dubites: That is to say, who so ever thou seest, that is proud, doubt the not, but he is the devils child. Wherefore against pride he biddeth the remember, Quid fuisti, quid es, et qualis post mortem eris: That is to say, what thou were, what thou art, and what thou shalt be after thy death. And S. bernard saith, Homo nihil aliud est, q sperma fetidum, saccus stercorum, et esca vermium: That is to say, A man is nothing, but stinking filth, a sack of dung, and worms meat. The which sayings would be remembered, and than me seemeth this is sufficient at this time for the first point of the three.   

¶ Of delicious meats and drinks.  
How costly are the charges of delicious meats & drinks, that be now most commonly used, over that it hath been in times passed, and how far above measure? For I have seen books of account of household, and brumentes upon the same, & I doubt not, but in delicious meats, drinks, and spices, there is at this day four times so much spent, as was at these days to a like man in degree, and yet at that time there was as much beef and mutton spent as is now, and as many good households kept, and as many yomennes waiters therein as be now. This began with love and charity, when a lord, gentleman, or yeoman desired or prayed an other to come to dinner or supper, and because of his coming he would have a dish or two more than he would have had, if he had been away. Than of very love he, remembering how lovingly he was bidden to dinner, and how well he fared, he thinketh of very kindness he must needs bid him to dinner again, and so ordaineth for him as many manner of such dishes and meats, as the other man did, and two or. iii. more, & thus by little and little it is comen far above measure. And begun of love and charity, and endeth in pride and gluttony, whereof saint Jerome saith, Qui post carnem ambulant, in ventrem et libidinem pronl sunt, quasi irrationabilia iumenta reputantur. That is to say, They that walk, and be ready to fulfil the lust of the flesh and the belly, are taken as unreasonable beasts, and saint Gregory saith, Dominante vicio gulae, omnes virtutes per luxuriam et vanam gloriam obruuntur: That is to say, where the vice of gluttony hath domination, all virtues by luxury and vainglory are cast under. the which sayings would in likewise be remembered, and this me seemeth sufficient for the. two. point of the three.   

¶ Of outrageous play and game.  
IT is convenient for every man, of what degree that he be of, to have play & game according to his degree. For Cato saith, Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis: Among thy charges and business thou must have sometime joy and mirth, but now adays it is done far above measure. For now a poor man in regard will play as great game, at all manner games, as gentlemen were wont to do, or greater, and gentlemen as lords, and lords as princes, & oft times the great estates will call gentlemen, or yeomen to play with them at as great game as they do, and they call it a disport, the which me seemeth a very true name to it, for it displeaseth some of them ere they depart, and special god, for myspending of his goods and time. But if they played small games, that the poor man that playeth might bear it though he lost, and bate not his countenance, than might it be called a good game, a good play, a good sport, and a pastime. But when one shall lose upon a day, or upon a night, as much money as would find him and all his house meat and drink a month or a quarter of a year or more, that may be well called a disport, or a displeasure, and oft times by the means thereof, it causeth them to sell they lands, dysheryte the heirs, and may fortune to fall to theft, robbery, or such other, to the great hurt of themself, & of their children, and to the displeasure of god: and they so doing, little do they ponder or regard the saying of saint Paul, juxta facultates faciendi sunt sumptus, ne longi temporis victum brevis hora consumat: This play begun with love and charity, and oft times it endeth with covetous, wrath, and envy. And this me thinketh should be a sufficient instruction for keeping of measure.   

¶ A prologue of the third saying of the philosopher.  
Now thou husband and housewife, that have done your diligence and cure about your husbandry and huswyfry, according to the first saying of the philosopher, A dhibe curam, And also have well remembered and fulfilled the second saying of the said philosopher, Tene mensuram: I doubt not but ye be rich according to the third saying of the said philosopher. Et eris dives. Now I have showed you the saying of the philosopher, whereby you have gotten moche worldly possession, me seemeth it were necessary, to show you how ye may get heavenly possessions, according to the saying of our lord in his gospel, Quid prodest homini, si universum mundum lucretur, anime vero suc detrimentum paciatur: What profiteth it to a man, though he win all the world, to the hindrance and losing of his soul? How be it, it should seem unconvenient for a temporal man, to take upon him, to show or teach any such spiritual matters: and yet there is a great diversity between predication and doctrine.   

¶ A diversity between predication and doctrine  
AS saint Iherome saith, there is great difference or diversity, between preaching and doctrine. A preaching or a sermon is, where a convocation or a gathering of people on holy days, or other days in churches or other places, and times set and ordained for the same. And it belongeth to them that be ordained there unto, and have jurisdiction and authority, and to none other. But every man may lawfully inform and teach his brother, or any other, at every time and place behovable, if it seem expedient to him, for that is an alms deed, to the which every man is holden & bound to do, according to the saying of saint Peter, unusquisque, sicut accepit gratiam in alterutrum illam administare debet. That is to say, as every man hath taken or received grace, he ought to minister and show it forth to other. For as Chrisostome saith, great merit is to him, and a great reward he shall have in time to come, the which writeth or causeth to be written, holy doctrine, for that intent, that he may see in it, how he may live holy, and that other may have it, that they may be edified or sanctified by the same. for he saith surely, know thou, that how many souls be saved by thee, so many rewards thou shalt have for either. For saint Gregory saith, Nullum sacrificium ita placet deo, sicut zelus animarum: There is no sacrifice that pleaseth god so moche, as the love of souls. And also he saith, Ille apud deum maior est in amore, qui ad eius amorem plurimos trahit: He is greatest in favour with god, that draweth most men to the love of god. Wherefore me seemeth, it is convenient to inform and show them, how they may get heavenly possessions, as well as I have showed them to get worldly possessions. Than to my purpose, and to the point where I left, now thou art rich.   

¶ What is richesse.  
IT is to be understand what is richesse, and as me seemeth, richesse is that thing, that is of goodness, and can not be taken away from the owner, neither in his temporal life, nor in the life everlasting. Than these worldly possessions, that I have spoken of, is no richesse, for why, they be but flowers of the world. And that may be well considered by job, the which was the richest man of worldly possessions, that was living in those days, and suddenly he was the poorest man again that could be living, and all the while he took patience, and was content, as appeareth by his saying, Dominus dedit, dominus abstulit: sicut domino placuit, ita factum est, sit nomen domini benedictum: Our lord hath given it, our lord hath taken it away, and as it pleaseth our lord, so be it, blessed be the name of our lord. The which job may be an ensample to every true christian man, of his patience and good living in tribulation, as appeareth in his story, who that list to read therein. And saint Austyne saith: Qui terrenis inhiat, et aeterna non cogitat, utrisque in futuro carebit: He that gathereth in worldly things, and thinketh not upon everlasting things, shall want both in time to come. For saint Ambrose saith. Non sunt bona hominis, quae secum ferre non potest: They are not the goods of man, the which he can not bear with him And saint bernard saith: Si vestra sint, tollite vobiscum: If they be yours, take them with you. Than it is to be understand, what goods a man shall take with him. And these be the good deeds and work that thou dost here in this temporal life, whereof speaketh Crysostome: Fac been, et operare justitiam, ut spem habeas apud deum, et non desperabis in terra: Do well, and work rightwisely, that thou mayst have trust in god, and that thou be not in despair in this world. According to that saith the prophet david, junior fui, etenim senui, et non vidi justum derelictum, nec semen eius querens panem: I have been young, and I have: waxed old, and I have not seen a rightwise man forsaken, nor his children seeking their bread.   

¶ What is the property of a rich man.  
IN mine opinion the property of a rich man is, to be a purchaser. and if he will purchase, I council him to purchase heaven. For saint Austyne saith, Regnum caelorum nulli clauditur, nisi illi, qui se excluserit: The kingdom of heaven is to no man closed, but to him that will put out himself. Wherefore this text may give the a courage to prefix thy mind, to make there thy purchase. And Solomon saith: Quod mali carius emunt infernum, quam boni caelum: Ill men buy hell dearer, than the good men buy heaven. and that me seemeth may well be proved by a common ensample: As if I had a. M. sheep to sell, and divers men come to me, and buy every man a. C. of the sheep, all of one price, to pay me at divers days. I am agreed, and grant them these days. some of the men be good, and keep their promise, and pay me at their days, and some of them do not pay me. wherefore I sue them at the law, and by course of the common law, I do recover my duty of them, and have their bodies in prison for execution, till they have made me payment. Now these men, that have broken me promise, and paid not their dewetye, buy their sheep dearer than the good men bought theirs. For they have imprisonment of their bodies, and yet must they pay their duties never the less, or else lie and die there in prison: the which sheep be dearer to them, then to the good men, that kept their promise. Right so every man chepeth heaven, and god hath set on it a price, and granted it to every man, and given to them days of payment: the price is all one, and that is to keep his commandments, during their lives. the good men keep his commandments, and fulfil their promise, and have heaven at their decease. The ill men break promise, & keep not his commandments, wherefore at their decease they be put in prison, that is to say in hell, there to abide his righteousness. And so the ill men buy hell dearer, than the good men buy heaven. And therefore it is better, to forego a little pleasure, or suker a little pain in this world, than to suffer a moche greater and a longer pain, in an other world. Now sith hell is dearer than heaven, I advise the specially to buy heaven, wherein is everlasting joy without end.   

¶ What joys or pleasures are in heaven.  
Saint Austyn saith, Ibi erunt quaecunque ab hominibus desiderantur, vita et salus, copia glory, honour, pax, et omnia bona: That is to say, There shall be every thing that any man desireth, there is life, health, plenty of joy, honour, peace, and all manner of goodness. What would a man have more? And saint Paul saith. Occulus non vidit, nec auris audivit, nec in cor hominis ascendit, quae preparavit deus diligentibus se: That is to say. The eye hath not seen, nor the ears hath herd, nor the heart of a man hath thought of so goodly things, that god hath ordained for them that love him. O what a noble act that were for an husband or housewife, to purchase such a royal place in heaven, to which is no comparison. Than it is to been known, what thing pleaseth god most, that we might do it.   

¶ What things pleaseth god most.  
By the text of saint Paul, before said, love pleaseth god above all thing, and that may be well proved by the saying of our lord himself, where he saith: Da mihi cor tuum, et sufficit mihi: give me thy heart, and that is sufficient for me, for he that hath a man's heart, hath all his other goods. what is this man's heart: it is nothing else, but very true love. For there can be no true love, but it cometh merrily and immediately from the heart: and if thou love god entyerlye with thy heart, than wilt thou do his commandments. Than it would be understand and known, which be his commandements, that a man may observe and keep them.   

¶ What be gods commandments.  
THere be in all. x. commandements, the which were to long to declare, but they be all concluded and comprehended in two, that is to say. Diliges dominum deum tuum super omnia: Et proximum tuum sicut te ipsum: Love thy lord god above all thing, and thy neighbour as thyself. These be light commandments, and nature bindeth a man to fulfil, observe, and keep them, or else he is not a natural man, remembering what god hath done for the. first he hath made thee, to the similitude and likeness of his own image, and hath given to the in this world diverse possessions but specially he hath redeemed thy soul upon the cross, and suffered great pain and passion and bodily death for thy sake. What love, what kindness was in him, to do this for thee? what couldst thou desire him to do more for thee? And he desireth nothing of the again, but love for love. What can he desire less.   

¶ How a man should love god and please him.  
SVrelye a man may love god and please him, very many ways: but first & principally, he that wylllove god, and please him, he must do as it is said in Symbalo Athanasii: Quicunque vult saluus esse, ante omnia opus est, ut teneat catholicam fidem, Who so ever will be saved, above all thing he must needs be steadfast in the faith of holy church. And according to that, saith saint Paul: Sine fide impossibile est placere deo: Without faith, it is impossible to please god. And Seneca saith: Nichil retine●, qui fidem perdidit: There abideth no goodness in him, that hath lost his faith. And so thou mayst well perceive, that thou canst not love nor please god, without perfit faith. And ferther more thou mayst not presume to study, nor to argue thy faith by reason. For saint Gregory saith: Fides non habet meritum, ubi humana ratio prebet experimentum: Faith hath no merit, where as man's reason proveth the same. This faith is a principal sign, that thou lovest god. Also thy good deeds, and thy work, is a good sign, that thou lovest god. For saint Iherome saith: unusquisque, cuius opera facit, eius filius appellatur: Whose work every man doth, his son or servant he is called. And saint bernard saith, Efficatior est vox operis, q vox sermonis: The deeds and the work of a man is more evident proof, than his words. The fulfilling of the. seven. works of mercy is an other special sign, that thou lovest god: and many more there be, which were to long to rehearse them all.   

¶ How a man should love his neighbour.  
THou must love thy neighbour as thyself, wherein thou shalt please god specially. for if thou love thy neighbour as thyself, it followeth by reason, that thou shalt do nothing to him, but such as thou wouldest should be done to the. And that is to presume, that thou wouldest not have any hurt of thy body, nor of thy goods, done unto thee, and likewise thou shouldest none do unto him. And also if thou wouldest have any goodness done unto thee, either in thy body, or in thy movable goods, like wise shouldest thou do unto thy neighbour, if it lie in thy power, according to the saying of saint Gregory, Nec deus sine proximo, nec proximus vere diligitur sine deo: Thou canst not love god, without thou love thy neighbour, nor thou canst not love thy neighbour, without thou love god. Wherefore thou must first love god principally, and thy neighbour secondaryly.   

¶ Of prayer that pleaseth god very moche.  
PRayer is honour and land to god, and a special thing that pleaseth him moche, and is a great sign, that thou lovest god, and that thou art perfit and steadfast in the faith of holy church: and that it is so, it may be well considered by our fore fathers, that have for the love and honour of god made churches: And a man must daily at some convenient times exercise and use prayer himself, as he ought to do. For saint Ambrose saith, Relicto hoc, ad quod teneris, ingratum est spiritui sancto quicquid aliud operatis: If thou leave that thing undone, that thou art bound to do, it is not acceptable to god, what so ever thou dost else. Than it is necessary, that thou do pray, and a poor man doing his labour truly in the day, and thinketh well, prayeth well: but on the holy day, he is bound to come to the church, and here his divine service.   

¶ What thing letteth prayer.  
THere be two impediments, that let and hinder prayer, that it may not be herd. And of the first impediment speaketh isaiah the prophet: Quia manus vestrae plenae sunt sanguine. i. peccato ideo non exaudiet vos dominus: Because your hands be full of blood, that is to say, full of sin, therefore our lord doth not graciously here you. And also prouerbiorum tertio. Long est dominus ab impiis, et orationes justorum exaudiet. Our lord is far fro wicked men, and the prayers of rightwise men he graciously heareth. And saint bernard saith, Quia praeceptis dei avertitur, quod in oratione postulat non meretur: He that doth not gods commandments, he deserveth not to have his prayer hard. The second impediment saith Anastasius is, Si non dimittis iniuriam, que tibi facta est, non orationem pro te facis, sed maledictionem super te inducis: If thou forgive not the wrong done unto thee, thou dost not pray for thyself, but thou enducest gods curse to fall upon the. And Isodorus saith, Sicut nullum in vulnere proficit medicamemtum, si adhuc ferrum in eo fit: ita nihil proficiat oratio illius, cuius adhuc dolor in mente vel odium manet in pectore. Like as the plaster or medicine can not heal a wound, if there be any iron styckinge in the same, right so the prayer of a man profiteth him not, as long as there is sorrow in his mind, or hate abiding in his breast. For saint Austyne saith, Si desit charitas, frustra habentur cetera. If charity want, all other things be void. Wherefore thou must see that thou stand in the state of grace, and not infect with deadly sin, and than pray if thou will be hard.   

¶ How a man should pray.  
IT is to be understand that there be divers manner of prayinge, Quedam publica, et quedam privata, That is to say, some openly, and some privately. Prayer openly must needs be done in the church by the mynystratours of the same people. For it is done for all the commonalty, and therefore the people in that ought to confirm themself to the said mynystratours, and there to be present to pray unto god after a dew manner. Oratio privata. The prayer privately done, ought to be done in secret places, for two causes. For prayer elevateth and lifteth up a man's mind to god. And the mind of man is sooner and better lift up when he is in a privy place, and separate from multitude of people. another cause is to avoid vainglory that might lightly ensue or rise thereupon, when it is done openly. and thereof speaketh our saviour, where he saith, Cum oratis, non eritis sicut hypocritae, qui amant in sinagogis, et in angulis platearum stantes orare. That is to say, when ye pray, be not you as the hypocrites, the which love to stand in their synagogues and corners of high ways to pray. Also some folks pray with the lips or mouth, and not with the heart, of whom speaketh our lord by his prophet, Hij labiis me honorant, cor autem eorum long est a me. They honour me with their mouth, and their hearts be far from me. And saint Gregory saith, Quid prodest strepitus labiorum ubi mutum est cor? What profiteth the labour of the mouth, where the heart is dumb? And Isodore saith, Long quip a deo est animus, qui in oratione cogitarionibus saeculi fuerit occupatus. His soul is far from god, that in his prayer his mind is occupied in work of the world. There be other that pray both with the mouth and heart of whom speaketh saint Iohn. x. Veri adoratores, adorabunt patrem in spiritu et veritate. The true prayers will worship the father of heaven in spirit and with truth. Isodorus saith, Tunc veraciter oramus, quando aliunde non cogitamus. Than we pray truly, when we think on nothing else. Richardus de Hampole. Ille devote orat, qui non habet cor vacabundum in terrenis occupationibus, sed sublatum ad deum in caelestibus. He prayeth devoutly, that hath not his heart wavering in wordly occupations, but alway sublevate and lift up to god in heaven. There be other that pray with the heart. un Mat. vi. Tu autem cum oraveris, intra cubiculum tuum. i. in loco secreto et clauso hostio, ora patrem tuum. When thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber or oratory, and steke the door, and pray to the father of heaven. Isodorus, Arden's oratio est non labiorum sed cordium, potius enim orandum est cord q ore. The hotter prayer is with the heart than with the lips, rather pray with thy heart than with thy mouth. Regum primo. Anna loquebatur in cord. Anne spoke with the heart.   

¶ A mean to put away idle thoughts in praying.  
ANd to avoid wavering minds, in worldly occupations when thou shalt pray, I shall show unto you the best experience that ever I could find for the same, the which have been much troubled therewith, and that is this. He that can read and understand latin, let him take his book in his hand, and look steadfastly upon the same thing that he readeth and seeth, that is no trouble to him, and remember the english of the same, wherein he shall find great sweetness, and shall cause his mind to follow the same, and to leave other worldly thoughts. And he that can not read nor understand his Pater noster. ave, nor Crede, he must remember the passion of Christ, what pain he suffered for him, and all mankind, for redeeming of their souls. And also the miracles and wonders that god hath done, and first what wonders were done the night of his nativity and birth. And how he turned water in to wine, and made the blind to see, the dumb to speak, the deaf to here, the lame to go, the sick to be hole. And how he fed five thousand with two fishes, and five barley loves, whereof was left. xii. coffyns or skyppes of fragments. And how he raised Lazare from death to life, with many more miracles that be innumerable to be rehearsed. And also to remember the special points of his passion, how he was sold & betrayed of judas, and taken by the jews, and brought before pilate, than to king Herode, and to bishop Cayphas, and than to pilate again, that judged him to death, and how he was bound to a pillar and how they scourged, bobbed, mocked him, spit in his face, crowned him with thorns, and caused him to bear the cross to the mount of Calvary, wheryppon he was nailed both hands and feet, and wounded to the heart with a sharp spear, and so suffered death. And how he fet out the souls of our forefathers forth of hell. How he rose from death to life, and how oft he appeared to his disciples and other more. And what miracles he wrought afterward, and specially what power he gave to his disciples, that were no clerks, to teach and preach his faith, and work many miracles, and specially when they preached before men of divers nations and languages, and every man understood them in their own language▪ the which is a sign that god would have every man saved, and to know his laws, the which was a miracle able to convert all the infidels, heretics, and lollers in the world.   

¶ A mean to avoid temptation.  
IT is oft times seen, that the holier that a man is, the more he is tempted, and he that so is, may thank god thereof. for god of his goodness and grace hath not given to the devil authority nor power, to attempt any man ferther and above that, that he that is so tempted, may withstand. For saint Gregory saith, Non est timendum hostis, qui non potest vincere nisi volentem. An enemy is not to be dread, the which may not overcome, but if a man be willing. And it is to presume, that he that is so tempted, standeth in the state of grace. For saint Ambrose saith, Illos diabolis vexare negligit, quos iure haereditario se possidere sentit. The devil despiseth to vex or trouble those, the which he felethe himself to have in possession by right inheritance. And if thou be so tempted, vexed, or troubled, I shall show unto the two verses, that if thou do thereafter, thou shalt be eased of thy temptation, and have great thank and laud of god and reward therefore, these be the verses.  
Hostis non ledit, nisi cum temptatus obedit.  
Est lo si sedit, si stat quasi musca recedit.  
¶ That is to say, The ghostly enemy hurteth not, but when he that is tempted obeyeth to his temptation, Than his ghostly enemy playeth the lion, if that he that is so tempted sit still and obey to him. And if he that is tempted, stand stiffly against him, the ghostly enemy flieth away like a fly. This me seemeth may be well proved by a familiar ensample. As if a lord had a castle, and delivered it to a captain to keep, if there come enemies to the castle, and call to the captain, and bid him deliver them this castle. The capitain cometh and openeth them the gates, and delivereth the keys. Now is this castle soon won, and this capitain is a false traitor to the lord. But let the captain arm himself, and steke the gates, and stand stiffly upon the wall, and command them to avoid at their peril, and they will not tarry to make any assault. Right so every man is captain of his own soul. and if thy ghostly enemy come and tempt thee, and thou that art capitain of thine own soul, will open the gates, and deliver him the keys and let him in, thy soul is soon taken prisoner, and thou a false traitor to thy soul, and worthy to be punished in prison for ever. And if thou arm thyself and stand stiffly against him, and will not consent to him, he will avoid and i'll away, and thou shalt have a great reward for withstanding of the said temptation.   

¶ Alms deeds pleaseth god moche.  
Alms deeds pleaseth god very moche, and it is great sign that thou lovest both god and thy neighbour. And he of whom alms is asked, ought to consider three things, that is to say, who asketh alms, what he asketh, and whereunto he asketh. Now to the first, who asketh alms, Deus petit. God asketh. For saint Jerome saith, Quia deus adeo diligit pauperes, quod quicquid fit eyes propter amorem suum, reputat sibi factum. That is to say, because that god loveth poor men so moche, what somever thing is given unto them for the love of him, he taketh it as it were done to himself, as it is said in his gospel, Quod uni ex minimis meis fecistis, michi fecistis. That thing that ye give or do to the least of those that be mine, ye do it to me. then to the second, what asketh god? Non nostrum, sed suum. He asketh not that thing, that is ours, but that thing that is his own. As saith the prophet David, Tua sunt domine omnia: Et quae de manu tua accepimus, tibi dedimus. Good lord, all things be thine, and those things that we have taken of thee, of those have we given the. then to the third. Where unto doth god ask? He asketh not to give him, but all only to borrow, Non tamen ad triplas, silicet, immo ad centuplas. Not all only to have thrice so moche, but forsooth to have an hundred times so moche. As saint Austyn saith, Miser homo quid veneraris homini, venerare deo, et centuplum accipies, et vitam aeternam possidebis? Thou wretched man, why dost thou worship or dread man: worship thou god and dread him, and thou shalt receive an hundred times so moche, and have in possession everlasting life, the which many fold passeth all other rewards? Proverbiorum. xiiii. Veneratur dominus, qui miseres tur pauperibus. He worshippeth our lord, that hath mercy and pity on poor folks. And the gloze thereof saith, Centuplum accepturus. And thou shalt receive an. C. times so moche. And it is to be understand, that there be three manner of alms deeds, that is to say, Egenti largire quicquid poteris: dimittere eye a quibus lesus fueris: Errantem cotrigere, et in viam veritatis reducere, That is to say, to give to the needy what thou well mayst, to forgive them that have trespassed to thee, and to correct them that do amiss, and to bring them into the way of right.   

¶ The first manner of alms.  
EGenti largire quicquid poteris. give to the needy what thou well may. for our lord saith in his gospel. Date elemosinam, et omnia munda sunt vobis. Et alibi. Date, et dabitur vobis. give alms, and all worldly richesse is yours. give and it shall be given to you. Alms deed is a holy thing, it increaseth a man's wealth, it maketh less a man's sins, it lengtheth a man's life, it maketh a man of good mind, it delayeth ill times, and closeth all things, it delivereth a man from death, it joineth a man with angels, and severeth him from the devil, and is like a wall unable to be fought against. And saint james saith. Sicut aqua extinguit ignem, ita elemosina peccatum. As water slecketh fire, so doth alms deed slake sin. Solomon saith, Qui dat pauperi, non indigebit. He that giveth unto a poor man, shall never have need. And also he saith, Qui obturat aurem suam ad clamorem pauperis, et ipse clamabit, et non exaudietur. He that stoppeth his ear at the clamor or cry of a poor man (he shall cry) and he shall not be gracyousely heard. There may no man excuse him from giving of alms, though he be poor. And let him do as the poor widow did, that offered a farthing, wherefore she had more thank and reward of god, than the rich men that offered gold. And if thou mayst not give a farthing, give less, or give fair words, or good information, ensample and token: and god shall reward the both for thy deed and for thy good will. And that thou dost, do it with a good will. For saint Paul saith, Hilarem datorem diligit deus. God loveth a glad giver, and that it be of true begotten goods. For Solomon saith, De tuis justis laboribus ministra pauperibus. Of thy true labours minister and give to the poor folks. For Isodorus saith, Qui injust tollit, just nunquam tribuit. He that taketh wrongfully, can not give truely. For it is written Ecclesiastici. xxxv. Qui de rapinis, aut usuris, aut de furto immolat: et quasi qui coram patre victimat filium. He that offereth of the goods that he getteth by extortyon, usury, or theft, he is like as a man slew the son in the presence of the father. Thou mayst right well know, the father would not be well content. No more would god be pleased with the gift of such begotten goods.   

¶ The second manner of alms.  
DImittere eyes, a quibus lesus fueris. To forgive them that have trespassed to thee, wherein thou shalt please god moche. For it is in the gospel of saint Mark. xii. Si non dimiseritis aliis, nec pater vester celestis dimittet vobis peccata vestra. If you forgive not, your father of heaven will not forgive you your sins. Also if thou do not forgive other, thou shalt be found a liar, as oft as thou sayest thy Pater noster, where thou saist: Et dimit nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. And forgive to us our debts, as we forgive to our debtors. By these debts may be understand the things that we ought to do to god, and do not them. And also the trespasses and the sin that we have offended to god, in that we ask mercy of. And if thou wilt not forgive, thou mayst not ask mercy of right. Eadem mensura, qua mensi fueritis, remetietur vobis. The same measure that ye meat other men by, shall be moten unto you. Dimittere autem rancorem et maliciam omnino necessitatis est, dimittere vero actionem et emendam opus est consilij. To forgive all rancour and malice, that a man oweth to the in his heart, thou art bounden of necessity to forgive all the hole trespass, or to leave thine action or a reasonable mends. Therefore it is but a deed of mercy if thou so do, and no sin though thou sue the law with charity. But and a man have done to the a trespass, and that thou art glad that he hath so done, that thou mayst have a quarrel, or a matter, or an action against him, and now of malice or ill will thou wilt sue him, rather than for the trespass, now thou sinnest deadly, because thou dost rather of malice than for the trespass, and than haste thou lost thy charity, Proverbiorum. xxxii. Qui pronus est ad misericordiam, benedicetur. He that is ready to forgive, shall be blessed.   

¶ The third manner of alms.  
ERrantem corrigere, et in viam veritatis reducere. To correcke a misdoer, and to bring him into the way of tyghte. It is to be understand, that there be three manner of corrections.  
¶ The first correction is of an enemy, the second is of a friend, and the third correction is of a justice. The first saith Chrisostome, Corripe non ut hostis expetens vindictam, sed ut medicus instituens medicinam Correcke not as an enemy doing vengeance, but as a pysician or surgeon, ministering or giving a medicine. To the second saith Solomon. Plus proficit amica correctio, quam correctio turbulenta. A friendly correction profiteth more than a troublous correction. For if thou speak courteysly to a man that hath offended, and with sweet words of compassion, he shall rather be converted by them, than with high words of great punishment. And Isodorus saith, Qui per verba blanda castigatus non corrigetur, acrius necesse est, ut arguatur He that will not be chastised by fair words, it is necessary that he be more hardlyer and straytlyer reproved or punished. To the third saith sayncte Jerome, Equum judicium est, ubi non persona●sed opera considerantur. There is an even judgement, where the person is not regarded, but the work are considered. And also it is written, Reddet unicuique juxta opera sua. He shall yield unto every man after his works. And saint Augustyne saith, Sicut meliores sunt, quos corrigit amor, ita plures sunt quos corrigit timor. As those be better, that be chastised by love, so there be many more th●t be chastised by fear. For and they feared not the punishment of the law, there would be but a few chastised by love. And saint Gregory saith, Facientis procul dubio culpam habet, qui quod potest corrigere negligit emendare, et illicita non prohibere consensus erroris est. He that may correcke, and doth not, he taketh the offence to himself of the deed, and he that doth not forbid unlawful things, consenteth to the same. etc.   

¶ What is the greatest offence that a man may do and offend god in.  
IN mine opinion, it is to be in despair of the mercy of god. And therefore what so ever thou have done or offended god, in word, work, thought, or deed, be never in despair for it, for Isodorus saith, Qui veniam de peccato desperate, plus de desperatione peccat quam de culpa cadit. He that despaireth to have forgiveness of his sins, he sinneth more in despairing than he did in the sin doing. For saint Iherome saith, Magis offendebat Iudas deum in hoc quod suspendebat, quam in hoc, quod eum tradidit. judas offended god more in that that he hanged himself, than he did when he betrayed god. For god saith in his gospel. Nolo mortem peccatoris, sed magis ut convertatur et vivat. I will not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may be converted and live. And also he saith, Non veni vocare justos, sed peccatores ad penitentiam. I am not comen to call rightwise men, but to call sinners to do penance. For thou canst not so soon cry god mercy with thy heart, but he is as ready to change his sentence, and to grant the mercy and forgynenes of all thy sins. For saint Austyne saith, Sicut scintilia ignis in medio maris, sic omnis impie●as viri ad misericordiam dei. As a spark of fire is in comparison able to dry up all the water in the se, no more is all the wickedness of man unto the mercifulness of god. And therefore it is convenient that a man should be penitent, contrite, and ask god mercy and forgiveness of his sins and offences that he hath done, whereof speaketh Chrysostme, Nemo ad deum aliquando flens accessit quod non postulaveritaccepst. No man hath gone any time weeping to god, but he hath taken or had that thing that he hath asked. And saint bernard saith, Plus cruciant lacrime peccatoris diabolum quam omne genus tormentorum. The tears of a sinner tormenteth the devil more, than all other kinds of torments. And saint Austyne saith, Acriores dolores demonibus non inferrimus, quam cum peccata nostra penitendo et confitendo plangimus. We can not do more sharper sorrows to the devil, than when we wail or weep in confession, and doing of penance. And that may be well proved by Mary magdalen, when she kneeled down and cried god mercy, and kissed his feet, and washed them with the tears of her eyen, and wiped them with the hear of her heed, to whom our lord said, as in his gospel. Dimittuntur tibi peccata tua. Thy sins are forgiven to thee, and also he said to her. Fides te saluam fecit, vade in pace. Thy faith hath saved thee, go thou in peace. To the which mercy and peace I beseech almighty jesus bring all christian souls. Amen.  
BE it known to all men both spiritual and temporal, that I make protestation before god and man, that I intend not to write any thing that is or may be contrary to the faith of christ and all holy church. But I am ready to revoke my saying, if any thing have passed my mouth for want of learning, and to submit myself to correction, and my book to reformatyon. And as touching the points of husbandry, and of other articles contained in this present book, I whll not say that it is the best way and will serve best in all places, but I say it is the best way that ever I could prove by experience, the which have been an householder this. xl. years and more. And have assayed many and divers ways, and done my diligence to prove by experience which should be the best way.  

¶ The author.  
¶ Go little quere, and recommend me  
To all that this treatise shall see, here, or read  
praying them there with content to be  
And to amend it in places, where as is need  
Of eloquence, they may perceive I want the seed  
And rhetoric, in me doth not abound  
wherefore I have sown, such sedes as I found.    
Finis.  
¶ Thus endeth this right profitable book of husbandry, compiled sometime by master Fitz herbarde, of charity and good zeal that he bore to the weal of this most noble realm, which he did not in his youth, but after he had exercised husbandry, with great experience. xl. years. ❧   

¶ Imprinted at London in fleetstreet in the house of Thomas Berthelet, near to the condite at the sign of Lucrece. Cum privilegio. ❧