The Book of Husbandry

grounde, the wynde is lykelye to blowe it besyde the heed, for it hath no fastnes in the wodde. And this is beste remedy for blowynge of, to cutte or clyppe awaye somme of the nethermooste leaues as they growe. And 20 this is the beste waye to graffe, and specyally a greate tree: than claye it, and bynde it as dyddest the other, &c.

140. ¶ To nourishe all maner of stone fruite, and nuttes.

Stone-fruits.

   As for cheryes, dampsons, bulleys, plummes, and suche other, maye be sette of stones, and also of the scyences, growynge aboute the tree, of the same, for they wyll

Filberts and walnuts.

sooneste beare. Fylberdes and walnuttes maye be set of 4 the nuttes in a gardeyne, and after remoued and sette where he wyll. But whan they be remoued, they wolde be set vpon as good a grounde, or a better, or els they wyll not lyke. 8

141. ¶ A shorte information for a yonge gentyl-man, that entendeth to thryue.

Get a copy of this book, and read it from beginning to end.

   I auyse hym to gette a copy of this presente boke, and to rede it frome the begynnynge to the endynge, wherby he maye perceyue the chapyters and contentes of the same, and by reason of ofte redyng, he maye 4 waxe perfyte, what shulde be doone at all seasons. For I lerned two verses at grammar-scole, and they be these: Gutta cauat lapidem non vi, sed sæpe cadendo: Sic homo fit sapiens non vi, sed sæpe legendo: A droppe of water perseth 8 a stoone, not al-onely by his owne strengthe, but by his often fallynge. Ryghte so a man shall be made wyse, not all-onely by hym-selfe, but by his ofte redynge. And soo maye this yonge gentyllman, accordynge to the 12 season of the yere, rede to his seruauntes what chapyter he wyll. And also for any other maner of profyte conteyned in the same, the whiche is necessary for a yonge husbande, that hath not the experyence of housbandrye, 16 nor other thynges conteyned in this presente boke, to take a good remembraunce and credence thervnto, for there is an olde sayinge, but of what auctorytie I cannot tell: Quod melior est practica rusticorum, quam scientia 20 philosophorum. It is better the practiue or knowlege of an husband-man well proued, than the science or connynge of a philosopher not proued, for there is nothynge touchyng husbandry, and other profytes conteyned in 24 this presente booke, but I haue hadde the experyence therof, and proued the same. And ouer and beside al this boke, I wil aduise him to ryse betime in the morning, according to the verse before spoke of, Sanat, sanctificat, 28 et ditat surgere mane: And go about his closes, pastures, fieldes, and specially by the hedges, & to haue in his purse a payre of tables, and whan he seeth any-thing, that wolde be amended, to wryte it in his tables: as if he 32 fynde any horses, mares, beastes, shepe, swyne, or geese in his pastures, that be not his owne: And perauenture thoughe they be his owne, he wolde not haue them to goo there, or to fynde a gap, or a sherde in his hedge, 36 or any water standynge in his pastures vppon his grasse, wherby he maye take double hurte, bothe losse of his grasse, and rotting of his shepe and calues. And also of standynge-water in his corne-fieldes at the landes 40 endes, or sydes, and howe he wolde haue his landes plowed, donged, sturred, or sowen. And his corne weded or shorne or his cattell shifted out of one pasture into an other, and to loke what dychyng, quicsettyng, or plashing, 44 is necessary to be had, and to ouer-se his shepeherd, how he handleth and ordreth his shepe, and his seruantes howe they plowe and do theyr warkes, or if any gate be broken down, or want any staues, and go not lyghtly 48 to open and tyne, and that it do not traile, and that the windes blowe it not open, with many mo necessary thynges that are to be loked vpon. For a man alwaye wanderynge or goinge aboute somewhat, fyndeth or seeth 52 that is a-mysse, and wolde be amended. And as soone as he seeth any suche defautes, than let hym take oute his tables, and wryte the defautes. And whan he commeth home to diner, supper, or at nyght, than let hym call his 56 bayly, or his heed-seruaunte, and soo shewe hym the defautes, that they may be shortly amended. And whan it is amended, than let him put it out of his tables. For this vsed I to doo .x. or .xii. yeres and more. And thus 60 let hym vse dayely, and in shorte space he shall sette moche thynges in good order, but dayely it wyll haue mendynge. And yf he canne not wryte, let hym nycke the defautes vppon a stycke, and to shewe his bayely, as 64 I sayde before. Also take hede bothe erly and late, at all tymes, what maner of people resorte and comme to thy house, and the cause of theyr commynge, and specially if they brynge with them pytchers, cannes, tancardes, 68 bottelles, bagges, wallettes, or busshell-pokes. For if thy seruauntes be not true, they maye doo the great hurte, and them-selfe lyttel auauntage. Wherfore they wolde be well loked vppon. And he that hath .ii. true seruauntes, 72 a man-seruaunte, and an-other a woman-seruaunt, he hath a great treasure, for a trewe seruaunte wyl do iustly hym-selfe, and if he se his felowes do amysse, he wyl byd them do no more so, for if they do, he wyll shewe his master 76 therof: and if he do not this, he is not a trewe seruaunt.

142. ¶ A lesson made in Englisshe verses, to teache a gentylmans seruaunt, to saye at euery tyme whan he taketh his horse, for his remembraunce, that he shall not forget his gere in his inne behynde hym.

Pvrse, dagger, cloke, nyght-cap, kerchef, shoyng-horne, boget, and shoes.

Hexameter verses, to help the memory.

Spere, male, hode, halter, sadelclothe, spores, hatte, with thy horse-combe.

Bowe, arrowes, sworde, bukler, horne, leisshe, gloues, stringe, and thy bracer.

Penne, paper, inke, parchmente, reedwaxe, pommes, bokes, thou remember. 4

Penknyfe, combe, thimble, nedle, threde, poynte, leste that thy gurthe breake.

Bodkyn, knyfe, lyngel, gyue thy horse meate, se he be showed well.

Make mery, synge and thou can; take hede to thy gere, that thou lose none.

[Fol. 59b.]

143. ¶ A prologue for the wyues occupation.

   Nowe thou husbande, that haste doone thy dylygence and labour, that longeth to an husbande, to get thy lyuynge, thy wyues, thy chyldrens, and thy seruauntes:

Seldom thrives the husband without his wife’s leave.

yet are there other thynges, that muste nedes be done, 4 or elles thou shalte not thryue. For there is an olde common sayenge, that seldom doth the housbande thryue, withoute the leue of his wyfe. By this sayenge it shoulde seme, that there be other occupations and labours, that 8 be moste conuenient for the wyues to do. And howe be

I will tell the wives part of their duties.

it that I haue not experyence of al theyr occupations and warkes, as I haue of husbandry, yet a lyttell wyl I speke what they ought to do, though I tel them nat howe they 12 shulde doo and exercyse theyr labours and occupations.

144. ¶ A lesson for the wyfe.

   But yet er I begynne to shewe the wyfe, what warkes

A lesson of Solomon.

she shall do, I wyll firste teche her a lesson of Salomon, as I did to her husbande a lesson of the philosopher, and that is, that she shulde not be ydle at noo tyme: 4 for Salomon saythe, Ociosus non gaudebit cum electis in cælo: sed lugebit in æternum cum reprobis in inferno: That

[Fol. 60.]

is to say, The ydle folke shall not ioye with the chosen folkes in heuen, but they shall sorowe with the reproued 8

A lesson of Jerome.

and forsaken folkes in hell. And saynt Iherom saythe: Semper boni operis aliquid facito, vt te diabolus inueniat occupatum: Quia sicut in aqua stante generantur vermes: sic in homine ocioso generantur malæ cogitationes: That is to say, 12 Alwaye be doinge of some good werkes, that the dyuell may fynde the euer occupied: for as in standynge water are engendred wormes, ryghte soo in an ydle body are engendred ydle thoughtes. Here mayste thou se, that 16 of ydelnes commeth damnation, and of good warkes and labour cometh saluation. Nowe arte thou at thy lyberty,

Choose either idleness or labour.

to chose whether waye thou wylt, wherin is a great diuersitie. And he is an vnhappy man or woman, that 20 god hath giuen bothe wyt and reason, and putteth hym in chose, and woll chose the worst parte. Nowe thou wyfe, I trust to shewe to the dyuers occupations, warkes, and laboures, that thou shalt not nede to be ydle no tyme 24 of the yere.

145. ¶ What thynges the wyfe is bounden of ryght to do.

Let the wife love her husband.

   First and prynycypally the wyfe is bounde of ryghte to loue her housbande, aboue father and mother, and aboue

[Fol. 60b.]

all other men. For our lorde saythe in his gospell;

Matt. xix. 5.
Mark x. 7.

Relinquet patrem et matrem, et adherebit[31] vxori suæ: A man 4 shulde leue father and mother, and drawe to his wyfe: and the same wyse a wyfe shulde do to her husbande. And are made by the vertue of the sacrament of holy scripture one fleshe, one bloude, one body, and two 8 soules. Wherfore theyr hartes, theyr myndes, theyr warkes, and occupations, shulde be all one, neuer to seuer nor chaunge durynge theyr natural lyues, by any mannes acte or dede, as it is sayde in the same gospel: 12 Quod deus coniunxit, homo non separet: That thynge that god hath ioyned to-gether, noo man maye seuer nor departe. Wherfore it is conuenyente that they loue eche other as effectually as they wolde doo theyr owne 16 selfe, &c.

146. ¶ What warkes a wyfe shulde do in generall.

First, at rising, bless thyself.

   First in a mornyng whan thou arte waked, and purposeste to ryse, lyfte vp thy hande, and blesse the, and make a sygne of the holy crosse, In nomine patris, et filii, et spiritus sancti. Amen. In the name of the father, the 4

[Fol. 61.]

sonne, and the holy gooste. And if thou saye a Pater noster, an Aue, and a Crede, and remember thy maker, thou shalte spede moche the better. And whan thou arte

Sweep the house,

vp and redy, than first swepe thy house, dresse vp thy 8 dyssheborde, and sette all thynges in good order within

milk the cows, dress the children.

thy house: milke thy kye, socle[32] thy calues, sye vp thy mylke, take vppe thy chyldren and araye theym, and prouyde for thy husbandes brekefaste, dynner, souper, 12 and for thy chyldren and seruauntes, and take thy parte with theym. And to ordeyne corne and malte to the myll, to bake and brue withall whanne nede is. And meete it to the myll, and fro the myll, and se that thou 16 haue thy measure agayne besyde the tolle, or elles the myller dealeth not truely with the, or els thy corne is not drye as it shoulde be. Thou must make butter, and chese whan thou maist, serue thy swyne bothe mornyng and 20 euenynge, and gyue thy poleyn meate in the mornynge; and whan tyme of the yere cometh, thou must take hede howe thy hennes, duckes, and geese do ley, and to gather vp theyr egges, and whan they waxe brodye, to sette 24 them there as noo beastes, swyne, nor other vermyn hurte them. And thou muste knowe, that all hole-footed fowles wyll sytte a moneth, and all clouen-footed fowles wyll sytte but three wekes, excepte a peyhenne, and greatte 28 fowles, as cranes, bustardes, and suche other. And whan they haue broughte forthe theyr byrdes, to see that they be well kepte from the gleyd, crowes, fullymartes, and other vermynne. And in the begynnynge of Marche, or 32 a lyttell afore, is tyme for a wyfe to make her garden, and to gette as many good sedes and herbes as she canne, and specially suche as be good for the potte, and to eate: and as ofte as nede shall requyre, it muste be weded, for 36 els the wedes wyl ouergrowe the herbes. And also in Marche is tyme to sowe flaxe and hempe, for I haue harde olde houswyues saye, that better is Marche hurdes than Apryll flaxe, the reason appereth: but howe it 40 shulde be sowen, weded, pulled, repeyled, watred, wasshen, dryed, beaten, braked, tawed, hecheled, spon, wounden, wrapped, and wouen, it nedeth not for me to shewe, for they be wise ynough; and therof may they 44 make shetes, bordclothes, towels, shertes, smockes, and suche other necessaryes, and therfore let thy dystaffe be alwaye redye for a pastyme, that thou be not ydle. And vndouted a woman can-not gette her lyuynge 48 honestely with spynnynge on the distaffe, but it stoppeth a gap, and muste nedes be had. The bolles of flaxe, whan they be ripeled of, must be rideled from the wedes, and made drye with the son, to get out the sedes. Howe 52 be it one maner of linsede, called loken sede, wyll not open by the son: and therfore, whan they be drye, they muste be sore brused and broken, the wiues knowe howe, and than winowed and kepte drye, tyll yere-tyme come 56 agayn. Thy female hempe must be pulled from the churle hempe, for that beareth no sede, and thou must do by it, as thou dydest by the flax. The churle hempe beareth sede, and beware that byrdes eate it not, as it 60 groweth: the hemp therof is not soo good as the female hempe, but yet it wyll do good seruyce. May fortune somtime, that thou shalt haue so many thinges to do, that thou shalt not well knowe where is best to begyn. Than 64 take hede, which thing shulde be the greattest losse, if it were not done, and in what space it wold be done: than thinke what is the greatest losse, & there begyn. But in case that thynge, that is of greateste losse, wyll 68 be longe in doynge, and thou myghteste do thre or foure other thynges in the meane whyle, thanne loke well, if all these thynges were sette together, whiche of them were the greattest losse; and if all these thynges be of 72 greater losse, and may be all done in as shorte space, as the other, than doo thy many thynges fyrste.
   ¶ It is conuenyente for a housbande to haue shepe of his owne, for many causes, and than maye his wife haue 76 part of the woll, to make her husbande and her-selfe some clothes. And at the leaste waye, she may haue the lockes of the shepe, eyther to make clothes or blankettes & couerlettes, or bothe. And if she haue no woll of her 80 owne, she maye take wol to spynne of clothe-makers, and by that meanes she maye haue a conuenyent lyuynge, and many tymes to do other warkes. It is a wyues occupation, to wynowe all maner of cornes, to make malte, to wasshe 84 and wrynge, to make heye, shere corne, and in tyme of nede to helpe her husbande to fyll the mucke-wayne or dounge-carte, dryue the ploughe, to loode hey, corne, and suche other. And to go or ride to the market, to sel butter, 88 chese, mylke, egges, chekyns, capons, hennes, pygges, gese, and all maner of cornes. And also to bye all maner of necessarye thynges belongynge to houssholde, and to make a trewe rekenynge and a-compte to her housbande, 92 what she hath payed. And yf the housbande go to the market, to bye or sell, as they ofte do, he than to shewe his wife in lyke maner. For if one of them shoulde vse to deceyue the other, he deceyueth hym-selfe, and he is 96 not lyke to thryue. And therfore they muste be trewe eyther to other. I coulde peraduenture shewe the housbandes dyuerse poyntes that the wyues deceyue them in: and in lyke maner, howe husbandes deceyue theyr 100 wyues: but if I shulde do so, I shulde shewe mo subtyll poyntes of deceypt, than eyther of them knewe of before. And therfore me semeth beste to holde my peace, least I shoulde do as the knyght of the toure dyd, the whiche 104 had many fayre doughters, and of fatherly loue that he oughte to them, he made a boke, to a good entente, that they myghte eschewe and flee from vyces, and folowe vertues. In the whiche boke he shewed, that if they 108 were wowed, moued, or styred by any man, after suche a maner as he there shewed, that they shulde withstande it. In the whiche boke he shewed so many wayes, howe a man shoulde atteyne to his purpose, to brynge a woman 112 to vice, the whiche wayes were so naturall, and the wayes to come to theyr purpose were soo subtylly contryued, and craftely shewed, that harde it wold be for any woman to resyste or deny theyr desyre. And by the sayd boke 116 hath made bothe the men and the women to knowe more vyces, subtyltye, and crafte, than euer they shulde haue knowen, if the boke had not ben made: in the whiche boke he named hym-selfe the knight of the towre. And 120 thus I leue the wyues, to vse theyr occupations at theyr owne discreation.

147. ¶ To kepe measure in spendynge.

Take care.

   Nowe thou husbande and huswyfe, that haue done your diligence and cure, accordynge to the fyrste artycle of the philosopher, that is to saye: Adhibe curam. And also haue well remembred the sayeng of wyse Salomon: 4 Quod ociosus non gaudebit cum electis in cælo: sed lugebit in æternum cum reprobis in inferno: Thanne ye must remembre, obserue, and kepe in mind, the seconde article of the sayinge of the philosopher, that is to saye, Tene 8 mensuram: That is to saye in englysshe, holde and kepe measure. And accordynge to that sayenge, I lerned two verses at grammer-schole, and they be these, Qui plus expendit, quam rerum copia rendit: Non admiretur, si paupertate 12 grauetur: he that dothe more expende, thanne his goodes wyll extende, meruayle it shall not be, thoughe he be greued with pouertee. And also accordynge to that sayenge speketh sayncte Paul and saythe, Iuxta 16 facultates faciendi sunt sumptus, ne longi temporis victum, breuis hora consumat: That is to saye, A[f]ter thy faculty or thy honoure, make thyne expences, leste thou spende in shorte space that thynge, that thou shouldest lyue 20 by longe. This texte toucheth euery manne, from the hyest degree to the loweste; wherfore it is necessary to euerye manne and womanne to remembre and take good hede there-vnto, for to obserue, kepe, and folowe the 24 same; but bycause this texte of sayncte Paule is in latyn, and husbandes commonely can but lyttell laten, I fere leaste they can-not vnderstande it. And thoughe it were declared ones or twyse to theym, that they wolde 28 forgette it: Wherfore I shall shewe to theym a texte in englysshe, and that they maye well vnderstande, and that is this, Eate within thy tedure.

148. ¶ To eate within the tedure.

   Thou husbande and huswife, that intend to folowe

Spare at the brink, not at the bottom.

the sayinge of the philosopher, that is to saye, kepe measure, you muste spare at the brynke, and not at the bottom, that is to vnderstande, in the begynnynge of 4 the yere, sellynge of thy cornes, or spendynge in thy house, vnto the tyme that thou haue sowen agayne thy wynter-corne, and thy lente-corne, and than se what remayneth to serue thy house, and of the ouerplus thou 8 mayste sell and bye suche other necessaryes, as thou must nedes occupie. And if thou spende it in the begynnynge of the yere, and shall want in the hynder ende, than thou doste not eate within thy tedure, and at the laste 12 thou shalte be punyshed, as I shal proue the by ensample. Take thy horse, and go tedure him vpon thyne owne lees, flytte hym as ofte as thou wylte, no manne wyll saye ‘wronge thou doste’; but make thy horse to longe 16 a tedure, than whan thou haste tyed hym vppon thyne owne lees, his tedure is so longe, that it recheth to the middes of an-other mans lees or corne: Nowe haste thou gyuen hym to moche lybertye, and that man, whose 20 corne or grasse thy horse hath eaten, wyll be greued at the, and wyll cause the to be amerced in the court, or elles to make hym amendes, or bothe. And if thy horse breake his tedure, and go at large in euery mans 24 corne and grasse, than commeth the pynder, and taketh hym, and putteth hym in the pynfolde, and there shall he stande in prison, without any meate, vnto the tyme thou hast payde his raunsome to the pynder, and also 28 make amendes to thy neyghbours, for distroyenge of theyr corne. Ryght so, as long as thou eatest within thy tedure, that thou nedest not to begge nor borowe of noo man, soo longe shalte thou encrease and growe in 32 rychesse, and euery man wyll be content with the. And if thou make thy tedure to longe, that thyne owne porcyon wyll not serue the, but that thou shalte begge, borowe, or bye of other: that wyll not longe endure, 36 but thou shalte fall in-to pouertye. And if thou breake thy tedure, and ren ryot at large, and knowe not other mennes goodes frome thyne owne, than shall the pynder, that is to saye, the sheryffe and the bayly, areste the, 40 and putte the in the pynfolde, that is to say, in prison, there to abyde tyll the truth be knowen: and it is meruayle, if thou scape with thy lyfe, and therfore eate within thy tedure. 44

149. ¶ A shorte lesson for the husbande.

Do not waste candle-light.

   One thinge I wyl aduise the to remembre, and specially in wynter-tyme, whan thou sytteste by the fyre, and hast supped, to consyder in thy mynde, whether the warkes,

[Fol. 65b.]

that thou, thy wyfe, & thy seruauntes shall do, be more 4 auauntage to the than the fyre, and candell-lyghte, meate and drynke that they shall spende, and if it be more

Rather go to bed, and rise early.

auantage, than syt styll: and if it be not, than go to thy bedde and slepe, and be vppe betyme, and breake thy 8 faste before day, that thou mayste be all the shorte wynters day about thy busynes. At grammer-scole I

Early rising makes a man healthy, holy, and rich.

lerned a verse, that is this, Sanat, sanctificat, et ditat surgere mane. That is to say, Erly rysyng maketh a man 12 hole in body, holer in soule, and rycher in goodes. And this me semeth shuld be sufficient instruction for the husbande to kepe measure.

150. ¶ How men of hye degree do kepe measure.

Men of high degree are too prodigal and wasteful.

   To me it is doubtefull, but yet me semeth, they be rather to lyberall in expences, than to scarce, and specyally in three thynges. The fyrste is prodigalytie in outragious and costely aray, fer aboue measure; the 4 seconde thynge is costely charge of delycyous meates and drynkes; the thyrde is outragious playe and game, ferre aboue measure. And nowe to the fyrste poynte.

151. ¶ Prodigalite in outragious and costely aray.

I have seen noblemen’s inventories of apparel very moderate as compared with what is worn now.

   I haue seen bokes of accompte of the yomen of the wardropes of noble men, and also inuentorys made after theyr decease of their apparell, and I doubte not but at this daye, it is .xx. tymes more in value, than it was to 4 suche a man of degree as he was an .C. yere a-go: and many tymes it is gyuen away, er it be halfe worne, to a symple man, the whiche causeth hym to weare the same; and an other symple man, or a lyttell better, seynge him 8

Other men try to dress like them.

to weare suche rayment, thynketh in his mynde, that he maye were as good rayment as he, and so causeth hym to bye suche other, to his great coste and charge, aboue measure, and an yll ensample to all other: and also to see 12

Even servants dress too much.

mens seruantes so abused in theyr aray, theyr cotes be so syde, that they be fayne to tucke them vp whan they ryde, as women do theyr kyrtels whan they go to the market or other places, the whiche is an vnconuenient syght. And 16 ferthermore, they haue suche pleytes vpon theyr brestes, and ruffes vppon theyr sleues, aboue theyr elbowes, that yf theyr mayster, or theym-selfe hadde neuer so greatte nede, they coude not shoote one shote, to hurte 20

[Fol. 66b.]

theyr ennemyes, tyll they hadde caste of theyr cotes, or cut of theyr sleues. This is fer aboue measure, or common weale of the realme. This began fyrste with honour, worship, and honesty, and it endeth in pryde, presumption, 24 and pouertye. Wherof speketh saint Austin, Quemcunque superbum esse videris, diaboli filium esse ne dubites: That is

The proud man is a child of the devil.

to say, who-so-euer thou seest that is proude, dout the not, but he is the diuels chylde. Wherfore agaynst pryde he 28 byddeth the remembre: Quid fuisti, quid es, et qualis post mortem eris: That is to say, what thou were, what thou art, and what thou shalte be after thy death. And S. Bernarde saythe, Homo nihil aliud est, quam sperma 32 fetidum, saccus stercorum, et esca vermium: That is to saye, A man is nothynge but stynkynge fylthe, a sacke of dounge, and wormes meate. The whiche sayinges wolde be remembred, and than me semeth this is sufficient at this 36 time for the first point of the thre.

152. ¶ Of delycyouse meates and drynkes.

   Howe costely are the charges of delycious meates & drynkes, that be nowe most commonly vsed, ouer that it hath ben in tymes paste, and howe fer aboue measure?

[Fol. 68; no fol. 67.]

For I haue seen bokes of accompte of householde, 4 and brumentes vpon the same, & I doubte not, but

Men now spend four times as much upon feasts as they used to.

in delycyous meates, drinkes, and spyces, there is at this daye foure tymes so moche spent, as was at these dayes, to a lyke man in degree; and yet at that tyme 8 there was as moche befe and mutton spent as is nowe, and as many good housholdes kept, and as many yomenne wayters therin as be nowe. This began with loue and charytye whan a lorde, gentylman, or yoman 12 desyred or prayed an other to come to dyner or soupper, and bycause of his commynge he wolde haue a dysshe or two mo than he wolde haue had, if he had ben

This has come about gradually.

away. Than of very loue he, remembrynge howe louyngely 16 he was bydden to dynner, and howe well he fared, he thynketh of very kyndnes he muste nedes byd hym to dyner agayne, and soo ordeyneth for hym as manye maner of suche dysshes and meates, as the other man dyd, and 20 two or .iii. mo, & thus by lyttel and litell it is commen fer

Begun in kindness, it ends in pride.

aboue measure. And begon of loue and charyte, and endeth in pryde and glotony, wherof saynte Ierome

Jerome.

saythe: Qui post carnem ambulant, in ventrem et libidinem, 24 proni sunt, quasi irrationabilia iumenta reputantur. That is

[Fol. 68b.]

to say, They that walke, and be redy to fulfill the lust of the fleshe and the bely, are taken as vnreasonable beastes;

Gregory.

and sayncte Gregory sayth, Dominante vicio gulæ, omnes 28 virtutes per luxuriam et vanam gloriam obruuntur: That is to saye, where the vice of glotony hath domination, all vertues by luxury and vayne glory are cast vnder: the whiche sayinges wold in lykewise be remembred; and 32 this me semeth sufficient for the .ii. poynte of the thre.

153. ¶ Of outragious playe and game.

Have some recreation.

   It is conueniente for euery man, of what degree that he be of, to haue playe & game accordynge to his degree.

Dionysius Cato, Distich. iii. 7.

For Cato sayth, Interpone tuis interdum gaudia curis: Amonge thy charges and busynes thou muste haue sometyme ioye 4 and myrthe; but nowe a-dayes it is doone ferre aboue

Poor men now play too high.

measure. For nowe a poore man in regarde wyll playe as great game, at all maner games, as gentylman were wont to do, or greater, and gentilmen as lordes, and 8 lordes as prynces, & ofte tymes the great estates wyll call gentylmen or yomen to play with them at as great game as they do, and they call it a disport, the whiche

[Fol. 69.]

me semeth a very trewe name to it, for it displeaseth 12 some of them er they departe, and specyall god, for myspendynge of his goodes and tyme. But if they

If men played for less, it might then be called play.

played smalle games, that the poore man that playeth myght beare it thoughe he loste, and bate not his 16 countenaunce, than myght it be called a good game, a good playe, a good sporte, and a pastyme. But whan one shall lose vpon a day, or vpon a nyght, as moche money as wold fynde hym and all his house meate and 20 drynke a moneth or a quarter of a yere or more, that maye be well called a disporte, or a displeasure, and ofte

But now men lose their lands and become thieves.

tymes, by the meanes therof, it causeth theym to sell theyr landes, dysheryte the heyres, and may fortune to fall to 24 thefte, robbery, or suche other, to the great hurte of them-selfe, & of theyr chyldren, and to the displeasure of god: and they so doinge, lyttel do they pondre or regarde the saying of saynt Paule; Iuxta facultates faciendi sunt 28 sumptus, ne longi temporis victum breuis hora consumat: This play begun with loue and charity, and oft times it endeth with couetous wrath and enuy. And this me thynketh shoulde be a sufficient instruction for kepynge 32 of measure.

154. ¶ A prologue of the thyrde sayinge of the philosopher.

[Fol. 69b.]

   Nowe thou housbande and housewife, that haue done your diligence and cure about your husbandrye and huswyfry, accordynge to the fyrste sayenge of the philosopher,

Pay attention;

Adhibe curam: And also haue well remembred and 4 fulfylled the seconde sayinge of the sayde philosopher,

Be frugal; and thou shalt be rich.

Tene mensuram: I doubte not but ye be ryche accordyng to the thyrde sayinge of the sayde philosopher, Et eris diues. Nowe I haue shewed you the sayinge of the 8 philosopher, wherby you haue goten moche worldely possession, me semeth it were necessary, to shewe you howe ye maye gette heuenly possessions, accordynge to