Fiue hundred pointes of good husbandrie
for March to haue.
11
Mark Physick true,
of wormewood and rue.[4]
Get grist to the mill,
for wanting at will.[E340]
Thus endeth Julies abstract, agréeing with Julies husbandrie.
[1] dalors. 1577.
[2] mayde. 1577.
[3] Go reape. 1577.
[4]
Some woormwood saue
for March to haue. 1577.
55.
¶ _Julies husbandrie.
Chap._ 44.
No tempest, good Julie,
Least corne lookes rulie.
Forgotten month past,
Doe now at the last.
[Sidenote: Hay haruest.]
1
Go muster thy seruants, be captaine thy selfe,
prouiding them weapon and other like pelfe.
Get bottles and walletts, keepe field in the heat,
the feare is as much, as the danger is great.
2
With tossing and raking and setting on cox,
grasse latelie in swathes is hay for an ox:[E341]
That done, go and cart it and haue it away,
the battel is fought, ye haue gotten the day.
[Sidenote: Pay thy tithes.]
3
Pay iustly thy tithes whatsoeuer thou bee,
that God may in blessing send foison to thee.
Though Vicar[1] be bad, or the Parson as euill,
go not for thy tithing thy selfe to the Deuill.
4
Let hay be well made, or auise else auouse,[E342]
for molding in goef,[2] or of firing the house.
Lay coursest aside for the ox and the cow,
the finest for sheepe and thy gelding alow.
5
Then downe with the hedlonds, that groweth about,
leaue neuer a dallop vnmowne and had out.
Though grasse be but thin, about barlie and pease,
yet picked vp cleane ye shall find therein ease.
[Sidenote: Thry fallowing.]
6
Thry fallow[E343] betime, for destroieng of weede,
least thistle and duck[3] fall a blooming and seede,
Such season may chance, it shall stand thee vpon,
to till it againe, er an Sommer be gon.
[Sidenote: ¶ Gathering of garden beanes.]
7
Not rent[4] off, but cut off, ripe beane with a knife,
for hindering stalke of hir vegetiue life.
So gather the lowest, and leaning the top,
shall teach thee a trick, for to double thy crop.[E344]
[Sidenote: ¶ Gather yellow hempe.]
8
Wife, pluck fro thy seed hemp the fiemble hemp clene,
this looketh more yellow, the other more grene:
Vse ton for thy spinning, leaue Mihel the tother,
for shoo thred and halter, for rope and such other.[E345]
[Sidenote: ¶]
9[5]
Now pluck vp thy flax, for the maidens to spin,
first see it dried, and timelie got in.
And mowe vp thy branke, and away with it drie,
and howse it vp close, out of danger to lie.
[Sidenote: ¶ Wormewood get against fleas and infection.]
10
While wormwood[E346] hath seed, get a handful or twaine,
to saue against March to make flea to refraine:
Where chamber is sweeped, and wormwood is strowne,
no flea for his life dare abide to be knowne.
11[6]
What sauer is better (if physick be true),
for places infected, than wormwood and rue.
It is as a comfort for hart and the braine,
and therefore to haue it, it is not in vaine.
[Sidenote: ¶ Be sure of bread and drinke for haruest.]
12
Get grist to the mill, to haue plentie in store,
least miller lack water, as many doo more.[E347]
The meale the more yeeldeth, if seruant be true,
and miller that tolleth, take none but his due.
Thus endeth Julies husbandrie.
[1] curat. 1577.
[2] mow. 1614.
[3] dock. 1577.
[4] rend. 1573 (M.), 1577.
[5] St. 9 wanting in 1577.
[6] St. 11 wanting in 1577.
56.
¶ _Augusts abstract.
Chap._ 45.
1
Thry fallowing won,
get compassing don.
2
In June and in Awe
swinge brakes (for a lawe).
3
Pare saffron plot,
forget it not.
His dwelling made trim,
looke shortly for him:
When haruest is gon,
then saffron comes on.
4
A little of ground
brings saffron a pound.
The pleasure is fine,
the profit is thine.
Kéepe colour in drieng,
well vsed woorth buieng.
5[1]
Maids, mustard séed reape,
and laie on a heape.
6
Good neighbors in déede,
change séede for séede.
7
Now strike vp drum,[2]
cum haruest man cum.
Take paine for a gaine,
one knaue mars twaine.[E348]
8
Reape corne by the day,[3]
least corne doo decay.
By great is the cheaper,
if trustie were reaper.
9
Blowe horne for sleapers,
and chéere vp thy reapers.[4]
10
Well dooings who loueth,
thes haruest points proueth.
11
Paie Gods part furst,
and not of the wurst.[E349]
12
Now Parson (I say),[5]
tith carrie away.
13
Kéepe cart gap wéele,
scare hog from whéele.
14[6]
Mowe hawme to burne,
to serue thy turne:
To bake thy bread,
to burne vnder lead.
15
Mowne hawme being dry,
no longer let ly.
Get home thy hawme,
whilst weather is cawme.
16
Mowne barlie lesse cost,
ill mowne much lost.
17
Reape barlie with sickle,
that lies in ill pickle.[7]
Let gréenest stand,
for making of band.
Bands made without dew,
will hold but a few.
18
Laie band[8] to find her,
two rakes[9] to a binder.
19
Rake after sieth,
and pay thy tieth.
Corne carried all,
then rake it ye shall.
20
Let shock take sweate,
least gofe take heate.
Yet it is best reason,
to take it in season.[E350]
21
More often ye turne,
more pease ye out spurne.
Yet winnow them in,
er carrege begin.
22
Thy carting plie,
while weather is drie.
23
Bid gouing (clim)[10]
goue iust and trim.
Laie wheat for séede,
to come by at néede.
Séede barelie cast,
to thresh out last.
24
Lay pease vpon stacke,
if houell ye lack.
And couer it straight,
from doues that waight.
25
Let gleaners gleane,
(the poore I meane).
Which euer ye sowe,
that first eate lowe.
The other forbare,
for rowen[11] to spare.
26
Come home lord singing,
com home[12] corne bringing.[E351]
Tis merie in hall,
when[13] beards wag all.[E352]
27
Once had thy desire,
pay workman his hire.
Let none be beguilde,
man, woman, nor childe.
28
Thanke God[14] ye shall,
and adue for all.
_Works after haruest._[15]
29
Get tumbrell in hand,
for barlie land.
30
The better the muck,
the better good luck.
31
Still carrege is good,
for timber and wood.
No longer delaies,
to mend the high waies.
32
Some loue as a iewell,
well placing of fewell.
33
In piling of logs,
make houell for hogs.
34
Wife, plow doth crie,
to picking of rie.
35
Such séede as ye sowe,
such reape or else mowe.
36
Take shipping or ride,
Lent stuffe to prouide.
37
Let haberden lie,
in peasestraw drie.
38
When out ye ride,
leaue a good guide.
39
Some profit spie out,
by riding about.
Marke now, thorow yéere,
what cheape, what déere.
40
Some skill doth well
to buie and to sell.
Of théefe who bieth,
in danger lieth.
41
Commoditie knowne,
abrode is blowne.
42
At first hand bie,
at third let lie.
43
Haue monie prest,
to buie at the best.
44
Some cattle home bring,
for Mihelmas spring.[E353]
By hauke and hound,
small profit is found.
45
Dispatch, looke home,
to loitring mome.
Prouide or repent,
milch cow for Lent.
46
Now crone[16] your sheepe,
fat those ye kéepe.
Leaue milking old cow,
fat aged vp now.
47
Sell butter and chéese,
good Faires few léese.
At Faires go bie,
home wants to supplie.
48
If hops looke browne,
go gather them downe.
But not in the deaw,
for piddling with feaw.
49
Of hops this knack,
a meanie doo lack.[17]
Once had thy will,[18]
go couer his hill.
50
Take hop to thy dole,
but breake not his pole.
51
Learne here (thou stranger)
to frame hop manger.
52
Hop poles preserue,
againe to serue.
Hop poles by and by,
long safe vp to dry.
Least poles wax scant,
new poles go plant.[19]
53
The hop kell dride,
will best abide.
Hops dried in loft,
aske tendance oft.
And shed their séedes,
much more than néedes.[20]
54
Hops dride small cost,
ill kept halfe lost.
Hops quickly[21] be spilt,
take héede if thou wilt.
55
Some come, some go,
This life is so.
Thus endeth Augusts abstract, agréeing with Augusts husbandrie.
* * * Stanza 47 is st. 49 in Septembers Abstract in 1577; st. 48 is 50,
second couplet reads--
But not in a deawe,
nor pidling with feawe. 1577.
[1] Sts. 5, 6 are wanting in 1577.
[2] droom. 1577.
[3] Get reapers by day. 1577.
[4] giue gloues to, etc. 1573 (M.) and 1577.
[5] That parson may. 1577.
[6] Sts. 14, 15, are wanting in 1577.
[7]
Reape barley with hand,
that will not stand. 1577.
[8] hand. 1577.
[9] rakers. 1577.
[10] In 1577, Bid goeuing clim. _Query_, abbreviation for Clement.
[11] rewen. 1577.
[12] cart. 1573 (M.), 1577.
[13] let. 1577.
[14] so. 1577.
[15] The Works after Haruest are not in editions previous to 1580 (M.).
But stanzas 47 and 48 are in Septembers Abstract. 1577.--Ed.
[16] _i.e._ pick out the crones.--T.R., but cf. Glossary.
[17] put in thy pack. 1577.
[18] fyll. 1577.
[19] ley new to plant. 1577.
[20] The third couplet is omitted in 1577.
[21] soone. 1577.
57.
¶ _Augusts husbandrie.
Chap._ 46.
Dry August and warme,
Doth haruest no harme.
Forgotten month past
Doe now at the last.
[Sidenote: Thry fallowing.]
1
Thry fallow once ended, go strike by and by,
both wheat land and barlie, and so let it ly.
And as ye haue leisure, go compas the same,
when vp ye doo lay it, more fruitfull to frame.
[Sidenote: Mowing of brakes.]
2
Get downe with thy brakes, er an showers doo come,
that cattle the better may pasture haue some.
In June and in August, as well doth appeere,
is best to mowe brakes, of all times in the yeere.
[Sidenote: Paring of saffron.]
3
Pare saffron[E354] betweene the two S. Maries daies,[E355]
or set or go shift it, that knowest the waies.
What yeere shall I doo it (more profit to yeeld?)
the fourth in garden, the third in the feeld.
[Sidenote: ¶ Huswiferie.]
4
In hauing but fortie foote workmanly dight,
take saffron ynough for a Lord and a knight.
All winter time alter[1] as practise doth teach,
what plot haue ye better, for linnen to bleach.[2]
[Sidenote: ¶]
5[3]
Maides, mustard seede gather, for being too ripe,[E356]
and weather it well, er ye giue it a stripe:[4]
Then dresse it and laie it in soller vp sweete,
least foistines make it for table vnmeete.
[Sidenote: ¶]
6[5]
Good huswifes in sommer will saue their owne seedes,
against the next yeere, as occasion needes.
One seede for another, to make an exchange,
with fellowlie neighbourhood seemeth not strange.
[Sidenote: Corne harvest.]
7
Make sure of reapers, get haruest in hand,
the corne that is ripe, doo[6] but shed as it stand.
Be thankfull to God, for his benefits sent,
and willing to saue it with earnest intent.
[Sidenote: Champion by great, the other by day.]
8
To let out thy haruest, by great[7] or by day,
let this by experience leade thee a way.
By great will deceiue thee, with lingring it out,
by day will dispatch, and put all out of dout.[E357]
9
Grant haruest lord[8][E358] more by a penie or twoo,
to call on his fellowes the better to doo:
Giue gloues to thy reapers,[9] a larges[E359] to crie,
and dailie to loiterers haue a good eie.
[Sidenote: Good haruest points.]
10
Reape wel, scatter not, gather cleane that is shorne,
binde fast, shock apace, haue an eie to thy corne.
Lode safe, carrie home, follow time being faire,
goue iust in the barne, it is out of despaire.
11[10]
Tithe dulie and trulie, with hartie good will,
that God and his blessing may dwell with thee still:
Though Parson neglecteth his dutie for this,
thanke thou thy Lord God, and giue erie man his.
[Sidenote: Parson looke to thy tithe.]
12
Corne tithed (sir Parson) to gather go get,
and cause it on shocks to be by and by set:
Not leauing it scattering abrode on the ground,
nor long in the field, but away with it round.
[Sidenote: Kéepe hog from cart whéele.]
13