Fiue hundred pointes of good husbandrie
For last of þis course, so fayre me falle.
For þe iii cours sowpys done fyne,
And also lamprouns in galentyne,
Bakun turbut and sawmon ibake
Alle fresshe, and smalle fysshe þou take
Þerwith, als troute, sperlynges, and menwus with al,
And loches to horn sawce versance shal."
See also the Babees Book, ed. Furnivall, p. 50.
[E56] "Setteth his soule vpon sixe or on seauen," that is, risks his
life on the cast of a die.
[E57] "Sit downe Robin and rest thee." I was inclined to think that
this was the burden of some ballad, but Mr. Chappell, to whom I
applied, is of opinion that it was not.
"An habitation inforced," etc., _i.e._ it is better to settle down,
even late in life, than not at all. Comp. chap. 10, stanza 8, p. 19.
[E58] For a great portion of the year the only animal food eaten was
in a salted state. In the autumn as much meat was cured as would last
the winter; and until the pastures had been for some time abundant,
that is, not until Midsummer, there were no means of fattening cattle.
After the winter months, veal and bacon were welcomed as the precursors
of fresh beef; and those who lived near the sea-coast enjoyed the
addition of fresh fish; but the state of the roads prevented the inland
parts of the country partaking of this benefit. The consumption of fish
during Lent and on other fast-days, comprising a great part of the
year, being expressly directed by statute, the people, even after the
abolition of the old religion, provided themselves at several large
fairs held almost expressly for the sale and distribution of salt-fish.
[E59] "Veale and Bakon is the man," _i.e._ is the proper food, or is in
season.
[E60] "Martilmas beef," beef killed at Martinmas, and dried for
winter use. "Biefe salted, dried up in the chimney, Martlemas
biefe."--Hollyband's Dict. 1593. See note to l. 383 of Wallace, in
Specimens of Eng. Literature, ed. Skeat, p. 391.
"Beefe is a good meate for an Englysshe man, so be it the beest be
yonge, and that it be not kowe-flesshe; for olde beefe and kowe-flesshe
doth ingender melancolye and leporouse humoures. Yf it be moderatly
powderyd, that the groose blode by salte may be exhaustyd, it doth make
an Englysshe man stronge, the education of hym with it consyderyd.
Martylmas beef, whiche is called 'hanged beef' in the rofe of the
smoky howse, is not laudable; it maye fyll the bely, and cause a man
to drynke, but it is euyll for the stone, and euyll of dygestyon, and
maketh no good iuce. If a man haue a peace hangynge by his syde, and
another in his bely, that the whiche doth hange by the syde shall do
hym more good, yf a showre of rayne do chaunse, than that the which is
in his bely, the appetyde of mans sensualyte notwithstandynge."--Andrew
Boorde's Dyetary, E. E. Text Soc. edit. F. J. Furnivall, chap. xvi.
"In a hole in the same Rock was three Barrels of nappy liquour; thither
the Keeper brought a good Red-Deere Pye, cold Roast Mutton, and an
excellent shooing-horn of hang'd _Martimas_ Biefe."--1639, John Taylor,
Part of this Summers Travels, p. 26.
"_Bacon_ is good for carters, and plowe men, the which be euer
labouryng in the earth or dunge; but and yf they haue the stone and vse
to eate it, they shall synge 'wo be to the pye!' Wherefore I do say
that coloppes and egges is as holsome for them as a talowe candell is
good for a horse mouth, or a peece of powdred Beefe is good for a blere
eyed mare."--A. Boorde, Regyment, fo. K iii. b.
"As for _bacon_ it is in no wise commended as wholsome, especially for
students, or such as haue feeble stomacks. But for labouring men it is
conuenient according to that Latine prouerbe, grosse meate for grosse
men."--Cogan's Haven of Health, p. 116.
[E61] The farmers in old times were greater economists than now. "Old
crones and such old things," it seems, fell commonly to their own
share, while the best meat was probably sold.--M. Compare also 21. 1.
[E62] "All Saints doe laie," etc. All Saints' Day expects or lays
itself out for pork and souse, sprats and smelts for the household.
"When it [the bore] is killed, scalded, and cut out, of his former
parts is our brawne made, the rest is nothing so fat, and therefore
it beareth the name of sowse onelie, and is commonly reserved for the
serving-man and hind, except it please the owner to have anie part
ther of baked, which are then handed of custome after this manner.
The hinder parts being cut off, they are first drawne with lard, and
then sodden; being sodden, they are sowsed in claret wine and vineger
a certeine space and afterward baked in pasties, and eaten of manie
in steed of the wild bore, and trulie it is very good meat. The
pestles [legs] may be hanged up a while to drie before they be drawne
with lard if you will, and thereby prove the better."--Harrison,
Descrip. of Eng. part ii. p. 11.
"_Spurlings_ are but broad _Sprats_, taken chiefly on our Northern
coast; which being drest and pickled as Anchovaes be in Provence,
rather surpass them than come behind them in taste and goodness.... As
for Red Sprats and _Spurlings_, I vouchsafe them not the name of any
wholesome nourishment, or rather of no nourishment at all; commending
them for nothing, but that they are bawdes to enforce appetite and
serve well the poor man's turn to quench hunger."--Muffett, p. 169,
quoted in The Babees Book, ed. Furnivall. "Smelt = Spirling or Sparling
in Scotland, Salmo Sperlanus."--Yarrell, Names of British Fishes. "A
Sperlynge, _ipimera, sperlingus_."--Catholicon Anglicum. See also
Glossary to Specimens of Early Eng., ed. Morris and Skeat.
[E63] "Embrings." Ember days or weeks, set apart for consecrating to
God the four seasons of the year, and for imploring his blessing by
fasting and prayer. They were settled by the Council of Placentia
A.D. 1095.--M. _Embring_ is a more correct form, being nearer to A.S.
_ymbren_. A connexion with Ger. _quatember_ is out of the question.
[E64] See as to the law relating to fasting and fish days, note E55 on
10. 51.
[E65] "Leaue anker in mud," _i.e._ drift, and break away from their
anchorage.
[E66] "It is an ill winde turnes none to good," _i.e._ turns to good
for none.
"An yll wynd that blowth no man good,
The blower of whych blast is she;
The lyther lustes bred of her broode
Can no way brede good propertye."
--Song against Idleness, by John Heywood, _circa_ 1540.
"Ah! Sirra! it is an old proverb and a true
I sware by the roode!
It is an il wind that bloues no man to good."
--Marriage of Wit and Wisdom, 1570.
Quoted in Hazlitt's Handbook of Proverbs, p. 240.
[E67] "If great she appereth," _i.e._ if seen through a dense
atmosphere, which causes her to appear much larger, it is an indication
of approaching rain. The reverse is the case when the atmosphere is
rare, and the orb of the moon appears small.
[E68] "Tyde flowing is feared," etc. "The Spaniards think that all
who die of chronic diseases breathe their last during the ebb."--The
Doctor, p. 207. Compare also in David Copperfield, "Mr. Barkis going
out with the tide." Tusser, however, seems to mean that it was the flow
and not the ebb which was dangerous to sick persons.
[E69]
"He that fast spendeth must need borrow,
But when he must pay again, then is all the sorrow."
--MS. of 15th cent. in Rel. Antiqua, vol. i. p. 316.
[E70] September is the month when the annual labours of agriculture
begin their round, and it is therefore, justly, put first in the
Calendar of farming. Some, indeed, take their bargains from Lady-day;
but this is by no means so convenient as Michaelmas.--M.
[E71] The off-going tenant of champion or open field, as is still
customary, allows the in-coming tenant to summer fallow that portion of
the ground which is destined for wheat. But the occupier of woodland
or inclosures holds the whole till the expiration of his term, unless
certain stipulations are made by lease; and without a lease, neither
the real interest of the tenant nor the landowner can be consulted.--M.
[E72] "Buieng or selling of pig in a poke," i.e. making a blind bargain.
"A good cochnay coke,
Though ye loue not to bye the pyg in the poke,
Yet snatche ye at the poke, that the pyg is in,
Not for the poke, but the pyg good chepe to wyn."
--Heywood's Dialogue (1546), ed. 1562, part ii. cap. 9.
See also Hazlitt's Handbook of English Proverbs, p. 413.
[E73] A _gofe_ is a _mow_ (rick); and the _gofe_-ladder is for the
thresher to ascend and descend, in order to throw down the sheaves with
the assistance of the _short pitch-fork_, while the _long_ was probably
for pitching the straw. The _straw-fork_ and _rake_ were to turn the
straw from off the threshed corn, and the _fan_ and _wing_ to clean
it. A _cartnave_ might be required to stand on in this operation. A
_casting shovel_, such as maltmen use, enables the farmer to select the
best and heaviest grain for seed, as they always fly farthest if thrown
with equal force.--M.
[E74] A _skep_ is a small basket or wooden vessel with a handle, to
fetch corn in and for other purposes.--M.
[E75] "_Aperne_ is an old provincial pronunciation, adopted from
a still older _napern_ or _nappern_; and Halliwell observes, that
_nappern_ is still the pronunciation in the North of England. This word
is interesting as illustrating two points: (1) the shifting of _r_,
so that the various pronunciations of _apern_ and _apron_ correspond
to the variations _brid_ for _bird_, and _burd_ for _bride_; and (2)
the loss of the initial _n_; for _apron_ is for Fr. _naperon_, a large
napkin; see Roquefort and Wedgwood. _Naperon_, without _n_ and _e_, is
_apron_; without _n_ and _o_, it is _apern_."--Rev. Walter W. Skeat in
N. & Q. 1869.
[E76] "To make whyte lethyre. Take halfe an unce of whyte coperose
and di. ȝ. of alome, and salle-peter the mowntance of the yolke of an
egge, and yf thou wolle have thy skynne thykke, take of whetmele ij
handfulle, and that is sufficient for a galone of water; and if thou
wolle have thy skynne rynnyng, take of ry mele ij handfulle, and grynd
alle thyes saltes smale, and caste hem into lewke warme water, and
let heme melt togedyre, and so alle in ewene warme water put therein
thy skynne. And if hit be a velome skynne, lett hit be thereinne ix
days and ix nyȝtes ... and if hit be a parchement skyne, let hit ly
thereinne iv days and iv nyȝtes; ... thanne take coperose of the
whyttest the quantité of ij benys for j skynne and the yolke of j egge,
and breke hit into a dysse, and than put water over the fyre, and put
thereinne thy coperas, and than put thy yolke in thy skyne, and rub hit
alle abowte, and thanne ley thy skynne in the seyde water, and let hit
ly, ut dictum est."--From the Porkington MS. 15th cent.
[E77] A Pannel and Ped have this difference, the one is much shorter
than the other, and raised before and behind, and serves for small
burdens; the other is longer and made for Burdens of Corn. These are
fastened with a leathern Girt, called a Wantye.--T.R. Miss Mitford,
in her "Recollections," writes that her father, who used to ride a
favourite gentle blood-mare, had a _pad_ constructed, perched and
strapped upon which, and encircled by his arm, she used to accompany
him.
[E78] A cart or wagon whose wheels are hooped and clouted with iron is
called in Lincoln a _shod-cart_ or _shod-wain_. In the Paston Letters,
ed. Gairdner, vol. ii. p. 245, we have "_clot shon_" = boots tipped
with iron. "Clowte of a shoo, _pictasium_."--Prompt. Parv. Cf. Milton,
Comus, l. 634:
"The dull swain
Treads on it daily with his clouted shoon."
In Lancashire a "Clout-nail" is a large nail used for fixing iron
_clouts_ on the wooden axle-trees of carts.
[E79] "Ten sacks," each holding a coome or four bushels, are only