Fiue hundred pointes of good husbandrie
shal make thee beloued, and liue the more long.
[Sidenote: Thrifts aduises.]
26
Things husbandly handsom let workman contriue,
but build not for glorie, that thinkest to thriue:
Who fondlie in dooing consumeth his stock,
in the end for his follie doth get but a mock.
[Sidenote: Spoilers to thrift.]
27
Spend none but your owne, howsoeuer ye spend,
for bribing[7] and shifting, haue seldom good end:
In substance although ye haue neuer so much,
delight not in parasites, harlots, and such.[8]
28
Be suretie seldome, (but neuer for much)
for feare of purse penniles hanging by such:
Or Skarborow warning,[E40] as ill I beleeue,
when (sir I arest yee[E41]) gets hold of thy sleeue.
29
Use (_legem pone_[E42]) to paie at thy daie,
but vse not (_Oremus_[E43]) for often delaie:
Yet (_Præsta quæsumus_[E44]) out of a grate,
Of al other collects,[E45] the lender doth hate.
30[9]
Be pinched by lending, for kiffe nor for kin,
nor also by spending, by such as come in;
Nor put to thy hand betwixt bark and the tree,
least through thy owne follie so pinched thou bee.[E46]
31
As lending to neighbour, in time of his neede,
winnes love of thy neighbour, and credit doth breede,
So neuer to craue, but to liue of thine owne,
brings comforts a thousand, to many vnknowne.
32
Who liuing but lends? and be lent to they must;
else buieng and selling might lie in the dust;
But shameles and craftie, that desperate are,
make many ful honest the woorser to fare.[E47]
33
At some time to borow, account it no shame,
if iustlie thou keepest thy touch for the same:
Who quick be to borow, and slow be to paie,
their credit is naught, go they neuer so gaie.
34[10]
By shifting and borrowing, who so as liues,
not well to be thought on, occasion giues:
Then lay to liue warily, and wisely to spend,
for prodigall liuers haue seldom good end.
35[11]
Some spareth too late, and a number with him,
the foole at the bottom, the wise at the brim:[E48]
Who careth nor spareth, till spent he hath all,
Of bobbing, not robbing, be fearefull he shall.
36
Where welthines floweth, no friendship can lack,
whom pouertie pincheth, hath friendship as slack:
Then happie is he by example that can
take heede by the fall of a mischieued man.[E49]
37
Who breaketh his credit, or cracketh it twise,
trust such with a suretie, if ye be wise:
Or if he be angrie, for asking thy due,
once euen, to him afterward, lend not anue.
38
Account it wel sold that is iustlie well paid,
and count it wel bought that is neuer denaid:
But yet here is tone, here is tother doth best,
for buier and seller, for quiet and rest.
39
Leaue Princes affaires undeskanted on,
and tend to such dooings as stands thee vpon:[E50]
Feare God, and offend not the Prince nor his lawes,
and keepe thyselfe out of the Magistrates clawes.[12]
40
As interest or vsurie plaieth the dreuil,
so hilback and filbellie biteth as euil:
Put dicing among them, and docking the dell:
and by and by after, of beggerie smell.[13]
[Sidenote: Thrifts Auditor.]
41
Once weekelie remember thy charges to cast,
once monthlie see how thy expences may last:
If quarter declareth too much to be spent,
for feare of ill yeere take aduise of thy rent.
42
Who orderlie entreth his paiment in booke,
may orderlie find them againe (if he looke.)
And he that intendeth but once for to paie:
shall find this in dooing the quietest waie.
43
In dealing vprightlie this counsel I teach,
first recken, then write, er[14] to purse yee doe reach,
Then paie and dispatch him, as soone as ye can:
for lingring is hinderance to many a man.
44
Haue waights, I aduise thee, for siluer & gold,
for some be in knauerie now a daies bold:
And for to be sure good monie to pay:
receiue that is currant, as neere as ye may.
45
Delight not for pleasure two houses to keepe,
least charge without measure vpon thee doe creepe.
And Jankin and Jenikin[E51] coosen thee so
to make thee repent it, er yeere about go.
46
The stone that is rouling can gather[15] no mosse,[E52]
who often remooueth is sure of losse.
The rich it compelleth to paie for his pride;
the poore it vndooeth on euerie side.
47
The eie of the maister enricheth the hutch,
the eie of the mistresse auaileth as mutch.
Which eie, if it gouerne, with reason and skil,
hath seruant and seruice, at pleasure and wil.
48
Who seeketh reuengement of euerie wrong,
in quiet nor safetie continueth long.
So he that of wilfulnes trieth the law,
shall striue for a coxcome, and thriue as a daw.[E53]
49
To hunters and haukers, take heede what ye saie,
milde answere with curtesie driues them awaie:
So, where a mans better wil open a gap,
resist not with rudenes, for feare of mishap.[E54]
50
A man in this world for a churle that is knowne,
shall hardlie in quiet keepe that is his owne:
Where lowlie and such as of curtesie smels,
finds fauor and friendship where euer he dwels.
51
Keepe truelie thy Saboth, the better to speed,
Keepe seruant from gadding, but when it is need.
Keepe fishdaie and fasting daie, as they doe fal:[E55]
what custome thou keepest, let others keepe al.
52[16]
Though some in their tithing be slack or too bold,
be thou vnto Godward not that waie too cold:
Euill conscience grudgeth, and yet we doe see
ill tithers ill thriuers most commonlie bee.
53
Paie weekelie thy workman, his houshold to feed,
paie quarterlie seruants, to buie as they need:
Giue garment to such as deserue and no mo,
least thou and thy wife without garment doe go.
54
Beware raskabilia, slothfull to wurke,
purloiners and filchers, that loueth to lurke.
Away with such lubbers, so loth to take paine,
that roules in expences, but neuer no gaine.
55
Good wife, and good children, are worthie to eate,
good seruant, good laborer, earneth their meate:
Good friend, and good neighbor, that fellowlie gest,
with hartilie welcome, should haue of the best.
56
Depart not with al that thou hast to thy childe,
much lesse vnto other, for being beguilde:
Least, if thou wouldst gladlie possesse it agen,
looke for to come by it thou wottest not when.
57
The greatest preferment that childe we can giue,
is learning and nurture, to traine him to liue:
Which who so it wanteth, though left as a squier,
consumeth to nothing, as block in the fier.
58
When God hath so blest thee, as able to liue,
and thou hast to rest thee, and able to giue,
Lament thy offences, serue God for amends,
make soule to be readie when God for it sends.
59
Send fruites of thy faith to heauen aforehand,
for mercie here dooing, God blesseth thy land:
He maketh thy store with his blessing to swim,
and after, thy soule to be blessed with him.
60
Some lay to get riches by sea and by land,
and ventreth his life in his enimies hand:
And setteth his soule vpon sixe or on seauen,[E56]
not fearing nor caring for hell nor for heauen.
61
Some pincheth, and spareth, and pineth his life,
to cofer vp bags for to leaue to his wife:
And she (when he dieth) sets open the chest,
for such as can sooth hir and all away wrest.
62
Good husband, preuenting the frailnes of some,
takes part of Gods benefits, as they doo come,
And leaueth to wife and his children the rest,
each one his owne part, as he thinketh it best.
63
These lessons approoued, if wiselie ye note,
may saue and auantage ye many a grote.
Which if ye can follow, occasion found,
then euerie lesson may saue ye a pound.
[1] Stanzas 2, 3, and 4 are wanting in 1573 and 1577.
[2] coefers. 1577.
[3] St. 14 is not in ed. of 1577.
[4] be ginne. 1577.
[5] compt. 1577.
[6] reachelesse. 1577.
[7] bringing. 1577.
[8] In lieu of last two lines, the edition of 1577 reads:
Tithe duely and truely with harty good will,
that god and his blessing may dwell with thee still.
[9] Stanzas 30 and 31 are wanting in 1573 and 1577.
[10] Stanza 34 is not in 1577.
[11] Stanzas 35 and 36 are not in 1577.
[12] In lieu of last two lines, the edition of 1577 reads--
In substance, although ye have never so much,
delight not in parasites, harlots, and such.
[13] and smell of a begger where ever ye dwell. 1577.
[14] or. 1577.
[15] gether. 1577.
[16] St. 52 is not in 1577; sts. 56, 58, 59 not in 1573 (M.); 56, 58,
59, 60, 61, 62 not in 1577.
11.
¶ _An habitation inforced better late than neuer, vpon these words Sit
downe Robin and rest thee.[E57]
Chap._ 11.
_My friend, if cause doth wrest thee,
Ere follie hath much opprest thee:
Farre from acquaintance kest thee,
Where countrie may digest thee,
Let wood and water request thee,
In good corne soile to nest thee,
Where pasture and meade may brest thee,
And healthsom aire inuest thee.
Though enuie shall detest thee,
Let that no whit molest thee,
Thanke God, that so hath blest thee,
And sit downe Robin & rest thee._
* * * The title in the edition of 1577 reads:
An habitation enforced aduisedly to be followed better late than
never, &c.
12.
[Not in 1577.]
¶ _The fermers dailie diet.
Chap._ 12.
1
A plot set downe, for fermers quiet,
as time requires, to frame his diet:
With sometime fish, and sometime fast,
that houshold store may longer last.[E58]
[Sidenote: Lent.]
2
Let Lent well kept offend not thee,
for March and Aprill breeders bee:
Spend herring first, saue saltfish last,
for saltfish is good, when Lent is past.
[Sidenote: Easter.]
3
When Easter comes, who knowes not than,
that Veale and Bakon is the man:[E59]
And Martilmas beefe[1][E60] doth beare good tack,
when countrie folke doe dainties lack.
[Sidenote: Midsommer.]
[Sidenote: Mihelmas.]
4
When Mackrell ceaseth from the seas,
John Baptist brings grassebeefe and pease.
Fresh herring plentie, Mihell brings,
with fatted Crones,[2] and such old things.[E61]
[Sidenote: Hallomas.]
[Sidenote: Christmas.]
5
All Saints doe laie for porke and souse,
for sprats and spurlings for their house.[E62]
At Christmas play and make good cheere,
for Christmas comes but once a yeere.
[Sidenote: A caueat.]
[Sidenote: Fasting.]
6
Though some then doe, as doe they would,
let thriftie doe, as doe they should.
For causes good, so many waies,
keepe Embrings[E63] wel, and fasting daies:
[Sidenote: Fish daies.]
[Sidenote: A thing needful.]
7
What lawe commands, we ought to obay,
for Friday, Saturne, and Wednesday.[E64]
The land doth will, the sea doth wish,
spare sometime flesh, and feede of fish.
[Sidenote: The last remedie.]
Where fish is scant, and fruit of trees,
Supplie that want with butter and cheese.
T. Tusser.
[1] "Dry'd in the Chimney as Bacon, and is so called because it was
usual to kill the Beef for this Provision about the Feast of St.
Martin, Nov. 11th."--T.R.(= Tusser Redivivus, here and elsewhere)
[2] "A Crone is a Ewe, whose teeth are so worne down that she can no
longer keep her sheep-walk."--T.R.
13.
[Not in 1577.]
_A description of the properties of windes all the times of the yeere.
Chap._ 13.
[Sidenote: In winter.]
1
North winds send haile, South winds bring raine,
East winds we bewail, West winds blow amaine:
North east is too cold, South east not too warme,
North west is too bold, South west doth no harme.
[Sidenote: At the spring.]
[Sidenote: Sommer.]
2
The north is a noyer to grasse of all suites,
The east a destroyer to herbe and all fruites:
The south with his showers refresheth the corne,
The west to all flowers may not be forborne.
[Sidenote: Autumne.]
3
The West, as a father, all goodnes doth bring,