The book for to Learn a man to be wise in building of his house for the health of body & to hold quietness for the health of his soul, and body.  
¶ The book for a good husband to learn.   woodcut  

¶ The table of this Book.  

THe first chapter doth show where a man should build or set his house, or place, for the health of his body.  
¶ The second chapter doth show a man, how he should build his house, that the prospect be good for the conservation of health.  
¶ The third chapter doth show a man to build his house in a pure and fresh air for to length his life.  
¶ The fourth chapter doth show under what manner a man should build his house in exchewing things that should shorten his life.  
¶ The .v. chapter doth show how a man should order his house, concerning the implements, to comfort the spirits of man.  
¶ The vi, chapter doth show a man how he should order his house and how should, to live in quietness.  
¶ The seven. chapter doth show how the head of the house, or howseholder should exercise himself, for the health of his soul & body  
¶ The viii chapter doth show how a man should order himself in sleeping & watch, and in his apparel wearing.   
¶ Explicit tabula.   

¶ The first chapter doth show where a man should build or set his house or place for the health of his body.  
A Man of honour, or worship, or other estate, the which doth pretend, to build a house or any mansion place, to inhabit himself: Or else doth pretend to after his house, or to after old building in to commodious and pleasant building, not only for his own proper commodity. wealth and health, but also for other men, the which will resort to him, having also a respect to his posterity. first it is necessary and expedient for him to take heed what counsel god did give to Abraham, and after that to take heed what counsel God did give to Moses, and to his children of Israel, as it appeareth in the xiii chapter of Exodi And the .xx chapter of Numeri. And the vi chapter of Deuttonomu. And also in the book of Levites, saying first to Abraham. Go thou forth of thy country, & from thy cognation or kindred, and come thou in to the country. the which I will show to the a country abunding & plentiful of milk & honey. ¶ Here is to be noted that where there is plenty of milk, there is plenty of pasture, and no skarsyte of water. And where there is plenty of honey, there is no skarsyte, but plentifulness of woods. For there be more bees in woods, and so consequently abundance of honey, than there be bees or honey or wax in the hives in gardens, or orchards. Wherefore it appeareth that who soever that will build a mansion place or house, he must cytuat and set it there where he must be sure to have both water and wood, except for pleasure, he will build a house in or by some city or great town, the which be not desty●●de of such commodities. But he the which will dwell at pleasure, and for profit and health of his body, he must dwell at elbow room having water and wood annexed to his place or house. For if he be destytuted of any of the pryncipalles, that is to say, first of water for to wash and to wring, to bake and to brew, and divers other cause specially for peril the which might fall by fire it were a great discommodious thing. And better it were to lack wood, than to lack water, the premisses considered although that wood is a necessary thing not only for fuel, but also for other urgent causes specially concerning building and reparations.   

¶ The second chapter, doth show a man, how he should build his house or mansion, that the prospect be fair and good for the conservation of health.  
AFter that a man have chosen a convenient soil and place according to his mind and purpose to build his house or mansion on. He must have afore cast in his mind, that the prospect to and fro the place, be pleasant, fair, and good to the eye, to behold the woods, the waters, the fields, the vales the hills, & the plain ground. And that every thing be descent and fair to the eye not only within the precynct of the place appointed to build a mansion or a house to the commodities about it, but also it may be placable to the eyes of all men to see and to behold when they be a good distance of from the place, that it doth stand commodyously. For the commodious building of a place doth not only satisfy the mind of the inhabytour, but also it doth comfort and rejoiceth a man's heart to see it, specially the pul●●use prospect. For my conceit is such that I had rather not to build a mansion or a house, than to build one without a good prospect in it to it, & from it. For & the eye be not satisfied, the mind can not be contented And the mind can not be contented, the heart can not be pleased, if the heart and mind be not pleased nature doth of horre. And if nature do abhor, mortification of the victual and animal and spiritual powers do consequently follow.   

¶ The third chapter doth show a man to build his house in a pure and a fresh air, to length his life.  
THere is no thing except poison that doth putrefy or doth corrupt the blood of man. And also doth mortify the spirits of man, as doth a corrupt and a courageous air. For Galyen cerapentice no no saith, whether we will or w●l not, we must grant to every man air, for without the air no man can live. The air can not be to clean and pure considering it doth close & doth compass us round about, and we do receive it in to us, we can not be without it, for we live by it. as the fish liveth by the water. Good air therefore is to be praised For if the air be fryske pure and clean about the mansion or house, it doth conserve the life of man, it doth comfort the bra●ne and the powers natural, & engendering and making good blood, in the which consisteth the life of man. And contrarily evil and corrupt airs doth infect the blood, and doth engender many corrupt humours, and doth putrefy the brain and doth corrupt the heart, & therefore it doth breed many diseases, & infirmities through the which man's life is abrevyated and shortenyd. Many things doth infect putryfy and corrupteth the air, the first is the influence of sondy stars, and standing water stinking mists and caryn syenge long about the ground, moche people in a smallrome lying uncleanly and being filth and sluttish. Wherefore he that doth pretend to build his mansion or house, he must provide that he do not cytuat his house nigh to any marsh or morysshe ground. And that there be not nigh to the plate stinking and putrified standing water pools, nor morysh, but at lest wise, that such waters do stand upon a stony or a gravellgrounde mixed with clay and that some fresh spring have a recourse to nourish and to refresh the said standing waters. Also there must be circumspection had that there be not about the house or mansion stinking dyches, gutters nor canelles nor corrupt dunghylles, nor synckes except they be oft divers times mundified, and made clean: Sweping of houses and chambres aught not to be done, as long as any honest man is within the precinct of the house, for the do doth putrefy, the air making it musty & dence. Also nigh to the place, set neither hemp nor flexe be watered, and beware of the snoffe of ●audelles, and of the savour of apples, for these things be courageous, and infective. Also misty & cloudy days impetous and vehement winds, troublous and vaperous wether is not good to labour in it to open the poors to let in infectious air. Furthermore beware of pissing in drauftes, and permit no common pissing place be about the house or mansion, and let the common house of element he over some water, or else clongatyd from the house. And beware of emptying of pyspottes and pissing in chymnes, so that all evil and courageous airs may be expelled, and clear air kept unputryfyed. And of all things let the buttery, the cellar, the kitchen, the larderhowse with all other houses of offices be kept clean, that there be no filth in them, but good and odiferous savours. And to expel and expulse all corrupt and courageous air.  
¶ For when the plaages of the Pestilence or the sweating sickness is in a trowne or country, at Mountpylour, and in all other high regions and countries, that I have been in, the people doth fly from the courageous and infectious air, preservatives with other council of physic, notwithstanding. In lower and other base countries, houses the which be infected in town or city, be closed up, both doors & windows, and the inhabitors shall not come abroad, not●er to church nor market, for infecting other, with that sickness.   

¶ The fourth chapter, doth show under what manner and fashion a man should build his house and mansion in exchewing things the which should shorten the life of man.  
When a man doth begin to build his house or mansion place, he must provide (saith Jesus' christ) before that he begin to build, for all things necessary, for the performation of it, lest that when he hath made his foundation, and can not finish his work that he hath begun, every man will deride him saying. This man did begin to build, but he can not fynyssh or make an end of his purpose, for a man must consider the expense before he do begin to build, for there goth to building many a nail, many pins, many lathes and many tiles or sklates, or straws, beside other greater charges, as timber, bowdes, lime, sand, stones or brick, beside workmanship, and the implements. But a man the which have provide, or hath in store to accomplish his purpose. And hath chosen a good soil and place to cituat his house or mansion, and that the prospect be good. And that the air be pure fresh and clean. Then he that will build, let him make his foundation upon a gravel ground mixed with clay, or else let him build upon a rock of stone, or else upon an hill or a hills side. And order and edify the house so that the principal and chief prospectes may be east and West specially north-east, Southest, and south-west, for the merydyall wind of all winds is the most worst, for the South wind doth corrupt. and doth make evil vapours. The Est wind is temperate fryske and fragrant The west wind is mutable. The North wind purgeth evil vapours. wherefore better it is of the two worst that the windows do open plain north, than plain south, although that jeremy saith from the north dependeth all evil And also it is written in Cantica canticorum. Rife up north wind, and come thou southwind and perflat my garden, make the hall under such a fashion, that the parfoure annexed to the head of the hall. And the buttery and pantry be at the house end of the hall, the seller under the pantry, set somewhat abase, the kitchen set abase from the buttery and pantry coming with an entry by the wall of the buttery, the pastry house, & the larder house anxed to the kitchen, than divide the lodgings by the circuit of the quadryvyall court, and let the gate house be opposite or against the hall door standing abase, & the gate house in the middle of the front entering into the place, let the prive chamber be annexed to the great chamber of estate with other chambers necessary for the building, so that many of the chambers may have a prospect in to the Chapel, if there be anutter court made make it quadryvyall with houses of casmentes, but one stable for horses of pleasure, & see no filth nor dung be within the court, nor cast at the backside, but the dung to be carried far from the mansion. Also the stables and the slauter house a dyapery if any be kept should be elongatyd the space of a quarter of a mile from the place. And also the bake house & brew house should be a distance from the place and from other building. when all the mansion is edified and built there be a moot made ahoute it, there should some fresh spring come to it, and divers times the moot aught to be showryd and kept clean from mud and weeds. And in no wise let not the filth of the kitchen descend in to the mote. Furthermore it is a commodious and a pleasant thing to a mansion to have an orochorde of sundry fruits, but it is more commodious to have a fair garden repleatyd with herbs of aromatic and redolent savours, in the garden may be a pool or two for fish, if the pools be clean kept. Also a park repleted with dear and coneys, is a necessary and a pleasant thing to be annexed to a mansion. A done house also is a necessary thing about a mansion place. And among other things a payer of butts is a decent thing about a mansion, and other while for a great man necessary it is to pass his time with bowls in an aly, when all this is finished, and the mansion replenished with implemē●es, there must be a fire kept continually for a space to dry the courageous moistness of the walls & the savour of the lime & sand And after that a man may lie and dwell in the said mansion, without taking any manner inconvenience of sickness.   

¶ The .v. chapter doth show how a man should order his house concerning the implements to comfort the spirits of man.  
When a man hath built his mansion, and hath his houses necessary about his place, if he have not household stuff, or implements, the which be needful, but must borrow of his neighbours, he than is put to a shift, and to a great afterdele, for these men the which do brew in a bottle and bake in a walet, it will be long or he can ley jacke and salet. Yet every thing must have a beginning, and every man must do after his possessions or ability, this notwithstanding better it is not to set up a household or hospitality, then to set up household lacking the performation of it, as now to run for maler, and by & by, for salt, now to send for bread, and by and by to send for a sheeps head, & now to send for this, and now to send for that, and by & by he doth send, he can not tell for what/ such things is no provision, but it is a great abusion. Thus a man shall lose his thrift. And be put to a shift, his goods shall never increase, and he shall not be in rest nor peace, but ever in cark & care. For his purse will ever be bare. Wherefore I do council every man, to provide for himself, as soon as he can. For if of implements he be destytuted, men will call him sight witted. To set up a house, & is not able to keep man nor mouse. wherefore let every man look or he leap. For many corns maketh a great hope.   

¶ The vi chapter, doth show how a man should order his house, and household. And also therein to live quietly.  
WHo so ever he be that will keep an house, he must order the expenses of his house according to the rend of his lands. And if he have no lands, he must order his house after his lucre winning, or gains. For he that will spend more in his house, than the rent of his lands, or his gains doth attain to, he shall fall in to poverty, and necessity will urge cause and compel him, to sell his land or to waste his stock, as it is daily seen by experience of many men, wherefore they the which will eschew such prodygalyte, and inconvenience, must divide his rents portion and expenses, whereby he doth live in to three equal portions or parts. The first part must serve to provide for meat & drink, and all other necessary things for the sustentation of the household. The second portion or part must be reserved for apparel not only for a man's own self, but for all his household, and for servants wages deducting some what of this portion in alms deed to poor neighbours, and poor people fulfilling other of the vii works of mercy. The third portion or part must be reserved for urgent causes in time of need as in sickness reparation of houses, with many other cotidyall expenses beside rewards & the charges of a man's last end, if a man do exsyde this order he may soon fall in debt, the which is a dangerous thing many ways beside the bringing a man to trouble. And he that is ones behind & in trouble, he can not be in quietness of mind, the which doth perturb the heart, and so consequently doth shorten a man's life/ Wherefore there is no wise man, but will eschew this inconvenience. And will cast before what shall follow after. And in no wise to set up a household before he hath made provision to keep a house. For if a man shall buy every thing that belongeth to the keeping of a house with his penny, it will be long or he be rich, and long or he can keep a good house. But he is wise in any conceit that will have or he set up his household ii or iii years rend in his coffer. And if he have no lands, than he must provide for necessary things or that he begin household, left he repent himself after, through the which he do fall in to pensyfulnes, and after that in to sickness and diseases, living not quietly whereby he shall a brevyat his life.   

¶ The vii Chapter doth show how the heed of a house, or a howsholder, should exercise himself, for the health of his soul and body.  
AFter that a man hath provided all things necessary for his house, and for his household: expedient it is for him to know how he should exercise himself both bodily and ghostly. For there is no catholic or christian man living, but he is bound in conscience to be more circumspecter about the wealth of his soul, than the health of his body. Our saviour jesus Christ saith: What shall it profit to man if he get all the world, and lose himself, and bring himself to a detriment. Wherefore it appeareth that a man ought to be circumspect for the health and wealth of his soul, for he is bound so to live, that night & day, and at all hours he should be ready, than when he is called for to depart out of this world he should not fere to die, saying these words with S. Ambrose, I fear not to die, for we have a good God. When a man hath prepared for his soul and hath subdued sensuality, and that he hath brought himself in a trade or an usage of a ghostly or catholic living in observing the commandments of god. Than he must study to rule and govern them the which be in his household or under his custody or dominion, to see that they be not idle. For king Henry the viii said when he was young. Idleness is chief master of vices all. And also the heed of an house must over se, that they the which be under his tuission serve god the holy days as diligently see, and more dylygentlyer, than to do their work, the feryall days refraining them from vice and sin, compelling them to observe the commandments of God, specially to punish swearers, for in all the world there is not such odeable swearing as is used in England, specially amongs youth and children, which is a detestable thing to here, and no man doth go about to punish it. Such things reform, than may an howsholder be glad, not ceasing to instruct them the which be ignorant, but also he must continue in showing good example of living, than may he rejoice in God & be merry, the which mirth and rejoicing doth length a man's life, and doth expel sickness.   

¶ The viii Chapter doth show how a man should order himself in sleeping, and watch, and in wearing of his apparel.  
When a man hath well exercised himself in the dayetyme as is rehearsed, he may sleep sound & surely in god, what chance soever fortune in the night. Moderate sleep in most praised, for it doth make perfit digestion. It doth nourish the blood and doth qualyfy the heat of the liver. It doth acuat, quicken, and refresh, the memory. It doth restore nature, & doth quiet all the humours & pulses in man, and doth any mat and comfort all the natural, animal, and spiritual, powers of man. And such moderate sleep is acceptable in the sight of God, the premises in the aforesaid chapter observed and kept. And contrarily, immoderate sleep and sluggishness doth humiate and make light the brain, it doth engender rheum and Impostumes, it is evil for the palsy, whether it be universal or particular, It is evil for the falling sickness called Epilencia, Aualencia, and Cathalencia, Appoplesia, Soda. With all other infirmities in the heed, for it enduseth oblyvyousnes, for it doth obfuske and doth obnebulat the memory and the quickness of wit. And shortly to conclude it doth perturb the natural, animal and spiritual, powers of man, and specially it doth in stygat and lead a man to fill, and doth induce and infarre brevity of life & detestably it displeaseth God. Our Lord jesus Christ did not only bid his disciples to watch, but did animat them and all other so to do, saying. (I say not only to you watch) but to all men I say watch. And to Peter he said mightest not thou one hour watch with me. Although these holy scriptures with many other more, the which I might allyg●t for me, although they be not greatly refarred to this sense, yet it may stand here with my purpose & matter without reprehension. These matters her: need not greatly to be rehearsed. Wherefore I do return to my purpose, and say that the moderation of sleep, should be measured according to the natural complexion of man, and in any wise to have a respect to the strength and debelytie to age & youth, and to sickness & health of man. first as concerning the natural health of man. sanguine and choleric men vii hours of sleep is sufficient for them. And now consyderying the imbecilite and weakness of nature a flumaticke man may sleep ix hours or more: melancholy men may take their pleasure, for they be the receptacle and the dredges of all the other humours. Secondly youth & age would have temperance in sleeping. Thirdly strength may suffer a bront in watch the which debelyte and weakness may not. As I will show by a familiar example. There was two men sat at the dice together a day and a night, and more, the week man said to him, I can play no longer, the strong man said to him, fie on the bench whystler wilt thou start away now, the week man to satisfy the strong man's mind, appetite and desire playeth with his fellow through the which he doth kill himself, the strong man doth himself little pleasure, all thyngis considered the which I do pass over. Wherefore I will return to the sick man, which may sleep at all times, when he may get it but if he may sleep at any time, best it is for him to refrain from sleep in the day & to take his natural rest and sleep in the night and to eschew merydyall sleep, but if need shall compel a man to sleep after his meat, let him make a pause, & than let him stand and leave against a cupboard and sleep, or else let him sit upright in a chair & sleep: sleeping after a full stomach doth engender divers infirmities. It doth hurt the splen, it relaxith the sinews, it doth engender the dropses and the gout, & doth make a man look evil coloured. Bewail of venereous acts before the first sleep, and specially beware of such things after dinner, or after a full stomach, for it doth engender the cramp and the gout and other displeasures. To bedward be you merry, or have merry company about you, so that to bedward no anger nor heaviness, sorrow nor pencifulnes do trouble or dysquiet you. To bedward and also in the morning use to have a fire in your chamber to waste and consume the evil vapours within the chamber: for the breath of man may putryfy the air within the chamber: I do advertise you not to stand nor to sit by the fire, but stand or sit a good way of from the fire, taking the flamour of it, for fire doth aryfye and dry up a man's blood, and doth make sterk the sinews and joints of man. In the night let the windows of your house specially of your chamber be closed. When ye be in your bed, lie a little while on your left side, and sleep on your right side, and when you do wake of your first sleep make water if ye feel your bladder charged, & than sleep on the left side, and look as oft as you do wake, so oft turn yourself in the bed from one side to another. To sleep grovelling upon the stomach and belly, is not good, unless the stomach be slow & tarde of digestion, but better it is to lay your hand or your bedfelowes hand over your stomach than to lie grovelling. To sleep on the back upright is utterly to be abhorred when that you do sleep let not your neck, neither your shoulders, neither your hands, nor feet, nor no other place of the body lie bare undiscovered. Sleep not with an empty stomach, nor sleep not after that you have eaten meat an hour or ii after. In your bed lie with your heed somewhat high lest that the meat which is in your stomach thorough eructuations or some other cause, ascend to the orife of the stomach, let your night cap be of scarlet, and this I do advertise you, cause to be made a good thick quylte of Cotton or else of pure flocks, or of clean wool, and let the covering of it be of white fustian, and lay it on the feather bed that you do lie on, and in your bed lie not to hot nor to cold but in temperance. Old ancient doctors of physic saith. viii. hours of sleep in summer: and ix hours in winter is sufficient for any man, but I do think that sleep ought to be taken, as the complexion of man is. when you arise in the morning, rise with mirth, and remember God. Let your hosen be brusshed within and without: and flaver the inside of them against the fire, use lynyn socks or lynyn hosen next your legs. When you be out of your bed stretch forth your legs and arms and your body, cough, & spit, and than go to your stole of egestion, and exonerate yourself at all times that nature would expel, for if you do make any restriction in keeping your egestion or your urine or ventosity, it may put you to displeasure in breeding of divers infirmities. After you have vacuated your body, and trussed your points, kayme your heed oft. and so do divers times in the day. And wash your hands and wrists, your face and eyes, and your teeth, with cold water, and after that you be appareled, walk in to your garden or in to your Park a thousand paace or two. And then great and noble men doth use to here the communion. And other men that can not do so, but must apply there business, doth serve God with some prayers, surrendering thanks unto him for his manifold goodness, with asking him mercy for their offences.  
And before you go to your refection, moderately exercise your body with some labour or playing at the tennis, or casting of a bowl, or pasing weights or plommettes of lead in your hands, or some other thing, to open the poors, and to augment natural heat. At diver and supper use not to drink of sundry drinks, and eat not of divers meats, but feed of two or three dishes at the most. After that you have dined and supped, labour not by and by after but make a pause sitting or standing upright, the space of an hour or more with some pastime, drink not much after dinner? at your supper use high meats of digestion and refrain from groose meats, go not to bed with a full nor an empty stomach. And after your supper make a pause or you go to bed/ and go to bed as I said with mirth.  
furthermore as concerning your apparel. In winter next your shirt, use you to were a petticoat of scarlet, your Doublet use at your pleasure, but I do advertise you to line your jaket under this fasshyo● or manner, buy you fine skins of white Lamb, & black Lamb, and let your skinner cut both the sorts of the skins in small pieces trianglewise, like half a quarrel of a glass window, and than sew together a white piece and a black? like an whole quarrel of a glass window, and so sew up all together, quarrel wise as much as will live your jaket. This Fu●re for his wholesomeness is praised above Sables or any other kind of fur. Your exterial apparel use according to your honour. In summer use to were a scarlet petticoat made of stammel, or of fynse wolf, in winter and fommer keep not your heed to hot, nor bind it to straight, keep ever your neck warm. In Summer keep your neck and face from the son, use to were gloves made of Goote skins, perfumed with Amber degrece And beware in standing or syenge on the ground in the reflection of the son, but be movable. If you shall common or talk with any man, stand not still in one place if it be on the bare ground, or grass, or stones, but be movable in such places, stand 〈◊〉 sit, upon no sto●● o● ston●● st●●de nor sit not long bare 〈◊〉 under a 〈◊〉 of stone. Also beware 〈…〉 do ●ot 〈◊〉 in no old chambres w●●●●●e not 〈…〉 specially such chamb●e as 〈◊〉 and Rats, and S●●●ses ●●so●te●● vn●o lie not in no such 〈…〉 the which he deprived clean from the Son, and 〈◊〉 air. Nor lie in no low chamber, except that it be bowrded. Beware that you take no cold on your feet, and legs. And of all wether beware that you do not tide nor go in great and impytous winds.  
¶ Explicit.   

¶ Of foolish physicians.  

WHo that useth the art of medicine  
Ta●●●ge his 〈◊〉 ●ge● in the field  
He is 〈…〉  
So to take 〈…〉 shield  
We●●ynge 〈…〉 to ●●eelde  
Which to not 〈…〉 know  
All their vert●● 〈…〉 and low.   

¶ Of dolorous ●●●●partyng.  
¶ 〈…〉 puissant  
O● go● 〈…〉 ●●age  
But th● 〈…〉 death did him daunt  
By process 〈◊〉 some straight passage  
Yea, were 〈…〉 of such an age  
For he spa● 〈◊〉 yther young nor old  
Fa●●e no● 〈◊〉 fierce nor also bold.   

¶ 〈…〉 description.  
¶ 〈…〉 such is prudent  
D● 〈…〉 where ever he go  
giving examples excellent  
Unto them the which are in woe  
teaching them in all vertue●●  
That they may not in to sin all  
If that they heartily on God call.   

¶ Of philosophy.  
¶ At this time doctrine is decayed  
And nought set by in no place  
For every man is well appalled  
To get good with great solace  
Not caring how nor in what place  
putting the fair and dign sophy  
Under feet with philosophy.   
¶ Finis. ¶   

(Imprinted by me Robert wire, dwelling at the gne of S. Iohn evangelist, in s. Martyns' parish in the field beside the Duke of Suffolk's place, at Charing Cross.  
¶ Cum privilegio, A● imprimendum solum.