The aucthors prologue.

Man is born to labour.
   Sit ista questio. This is the questyon, whervnto is euerye manne ordeyned? And as Job saythe, Homo nascitur ad laborem, sicut auis ad volandum: That is to saye, a man is ordeyned and borne to do labour, as 4 a bird is ordeyned to flye. And the Apostle saythe, Qui non laborat, non manducet: Debet enim in obsequio dei laborare, qui de bonis eius vult manducare: That is to saye,
He that laboureth not should not eat.
he that laboureth not, shulde not eate, and he ought to 8 labour and doo goddes warke, that wyll eate of his goodes or gyftes. The whiche is an harde texte after the lyterall sence. For by the letter, the kynge, the quene, nor all other lordes spirituall and temporal shuld not eate, without 12 they shuld labour, the whiche were vncomely, and not conuenyente for suche estates to labour. But who
The Book of the Chess
that redeth in the boke of the moralytes of the chesse, shal therby perceyue, that euerye man, from the hyest 16
is divided into six degrees,
degree to the lowest, is set and ordeyned to haue labour and occupation; and that boke is deuyded in vi. degrees, that is to saye, the kynge, the quene, the byshops, the
viz. king, queen, bishops, knights, judges, and yeomen,
knightes, the iudges, and the yomenne. In the which 20 boke is shewed theyr degrees, theyr auctorytyes, theyr warkes, and theyr occupations, and what they ought to do. And they so doynge, and executynge theyr auctorytyes, warkes, and occupatyons, haue a wonders great 24
concerning which it is too long to write.
study and labour, of the whiche auctorytyes, occupations, and warkes, were at this tyme to longe to wryte. Wherfore I remytte that boke as myn auctour therof: The whiche boke were necessary to be knowen of euery 28 degree, that they myghte doo and ordre them selfe accordynge
As the yeomen defend the rest, I shall speak of husbandry.
to the same. And in so moche the yomen in the sayde moralytyes and game of the chesse be set before to labour, defende, and maynteyne all the other 32 hyer estates, the whiche yomen represent the common people, as husbandes and labourers, therfore I purpose to speake fyrste of husbandrye.

Finis.

¶ The table.

PAGE
1.First wherby husbande-men do lyue. fo. i.[19]9
2.Of dyuers maner of plowes. fol. eod.9
3.To knowe the names of all the partes of the ploughe. fol. ii.10
4.The temprynge of plowes. fo. iii.12
5.¶ The necessary thynges that belonge to a plowe, carte, or wayne. fol. iiii.14
6.¶ Whether is better, a plowe of oxen or a plowe of horses. fol. v.15
7.¶ The dylygence and the attendaunce that a husbande shulde gyue to his warke, in maner of an other prologue, and a specyall grounde of all this treatyse. fol. vi.16
8.¶ Howe a manne shulde plowe all maner of landes all tymes of the yere. fo. vii.17
9.To plowe for pees and beanes. fol. viii.18
10.Howe to sowe bothe pees and beanes. fol. viii.18
11.Sede of Discrecyon. fol. ix.20
12.Howe all maner of corne shulde be sowen. folio eodem21
13.To sowe barley. fol. x.22
14.To sowe otes. fol. xi.23
15.To harowe all maner of cornes. fol. xii.24
16.To falowe. fol. xiii.25
17.To carry out donge or mucke, and to sprede it. fol. xiiii.27
18.To set out the shepe-folde. fol. xv.28
19.To cary wode and other necessaries. fol. xvi.29
20.To knowe dyuers maner of wedes. fol. eod.29
21.To wede corne. fol. xvii.31
22.The fyrste sturrynge: and (23) to mowe grasse. foli. xviii.32
24.How forkes and rakes shuld be made. fo. xix.33
25.To tedde and make hey. fol. eod.33
26.Howe rye shulde be shorne. fol. xx.35
27.Howe to shere whete. fol. xxi.35
28.To mowe or shere barley and otes. fol. eod.36
29.To repe or mowe pees and beanes. fol. xxii.36
30.Howe all maner of corne shoulde be tythed. folio eodem37
31.Howe all maner of corne shoulde be couered. fol. xxiii.38
32.To lode corne and mowe it. fol. eod.38
33.The seconde sturrynge. fo. xxiiii.39
34.To sowe whete and rye. fol. eodem39
35.To thresshe and wynowe corne. fol. xxv.41
36.To seuer beanes, pees, and fetches. fol. eod.41
37.Of shepe, and what tyme of the yere the rammes shulde be put to the ewes. fol. xxvi.42
38.To make a ewe to loue her lambe. fol. xxvii.43
39.What tyme lambes shulde be wayned. fo. eod.44
40.To drawe shepe and seuer them in dyuerse partes. fol. xxviii.44
41.To belte shepe. fol. xxix.45
42.To grece shepe. fol. eod.46
43.To medle terre. fol. eodem46
44.To make brome salue. fol. eod.46
45.If a shepe haue mathes. fol. xxx.47
46.Blyndenes of shepe and other dyseases, and remedyes therfore. fo. eod.47
47.The worme in a shepes fote, and helpe therfore. fol. xxxi.48
48.The bloudde, and remedye if he comme betyme. fol. eodem48
49.The pockes, and remedy therfore. fol. eod.49
50.The wode euyl, and remedy therfore. fol. xxxii.49
51.To washe shepe. fol. eod.49
52.To shere shepe. fol. eod.50
53.To drawe and seuer the bad shepe frome the good. fol. eod.50
54.What thynge rotteth shepe. fol. xxxiii.50
55.To knowe a rotten shepe dyuerse maner ways, wherof some of them wyll not fayle. fol. xxxiiii.51
56.To by leane cattell. fol. eod.52
57.To bye fatte cattell. fol. xxxv.53
58.Dyuerse sickenesses of cattell, and remedies therfore, and fyrste of murren. fol. eod.53
59.Long sought, and remedy therfore. fo. xxxvi.54
60.Dewbolue,[20] and the harde remedye therfore. fol. eod.55
61.Ryson vppon, and the remedye therfore. fol. xxxvii.55
62.The turne, and remedy therfore. fol. eod.56
63.The warribred, & remedy therfore. fol. xxxviii.56
64.The foule, and remedy therfore. fol. eod.57
65.The goute without remedy. fol. eod.57
66.To rere calues. fol. eod.57
67.To gelde calues. fol. xxxix.58
68.Horses and mares to drawe. fol. xl.59
69.¶ The losse of a lambe, a calfe, or a foole. fol. xli.61
70.What cattell shulde go together in oone pasture. fol. xlii.62
71.The properties of horses. fol. xliii.63
72.The two propertyes that a horse hath of a man. fol. eod.63
73.The ii. propertyes of a bauson. fol. eod.64
74.The iiii. properties of a lyon. fol. eod.64
75.The ix. properties of an oxe. fol. xliiii.64
76.The ix. properties of an hare. fol. eod.64
77.The ix. properties of a foxe. fol. eod.64
78.The ix. properties of an asse. fol. eod.65
79.The x. properties of a woman. fol. eod.65
80.The diseases and soraunce of horses. fol. xlv.65
81.The lampas. fol. eod.65
82.The barbes. fo. eod.66
83.Mournynge on the tonge. fol. eod.66
84.Pursye. fo. eod.66
85.Broken wynded. fol. eod.66
86.Glaunders. fo. eod.66
87.Mournynge on the chynne. fol. eod.66
88.Stranguelyon. fol. eod.67
89.The hawe. fol. eod.67
90.Blyndnesse. fol. xlvi.67
91.Uyues. fol. eod.67
92.The cordes. fol. eod.67
93.¶ The farcyon. fol. eod.67
94.¶ A malander. fol. eod.68
95.¶ A salander. fol. eod.68
96.¶ A serewe. fol. eod.68
97.¶ A splent. fo. eod.68
98.¶ A ryngebone. fol. xlvii.69
99.¶ Wyndgall. fol. eod.69
100.¶ Morfounde. fol. eod.69
101.¶ The coltes euyll. fol. eod.69
102.¶ The bottes. fo. eod.70
103.¶ The wormes. fol. eod.70
104.¶ Affrayd. fo. eod.70
105.¶ Nauylgall. fo. eod.70
106.¶ A spauen. fol. eod.70
107.¶ A curbe. fol. eod.71
108.¶ The strynge-halte. fol. eod.71
109.¶ Enterfyre. fo. eod.71
110.¶ Myllettes. fol. eod.71
111.¶ The paynes. fol. eod.71
112.¶ Cratches. fol. eod.72
113.¶ Attaynt. fol. xlix.72
114.¶ Grauelynge. fol. eod.72
115.¶ Acloyd. fol. eod.72
116.¶ The scabbe. fol. eod.72
117.¶ Lowsy. fol. eod.72
118.¶ Wartes. fol. eod.73
119.¶ The sayenge of the frenche man. fo. eod.73
120.¶ The dyuersitie bytwene a horse mayster, a corser, and a horse leche. fol. l.74
121.¶ Of swyne. fo. eod.74
122.¶ Of bees. fol. li.75
123.¶ How to kepe beastes & other catel. fol. lii.76
124.¶ To get settes and set them. fol. liii.78
125.¶ To make a dyche. fol. liiii.79
126.¶ To make a hedge. fol. eod.79
127.¶ To plasshe and pleche a hedge. fol. eod.80
128.¶ To mende a hye waye. fo. lv.81
129.¶ To remoue and sette trees. fo. lvi.82
130.¶ Trees to be sette without rootes and growe. fol. lvii.83
131.¶ To fell woode for houssholde or to sell. fol. eodem.83
132.¶ To shrede, lop, or crop trees. fol. lviii.84
133.Howe a man shoulde shrede loppe or croppe trees. fol. eod.85
134.To sell woode or tymbre. fol. lix.85
135.To kepe sprynge woode. fo. lx.86
136.Necessary thynges belongynge to graffynge. fol. eod.87
137.What fruyte shulde be first graffed. fol. lxi.88
138.Howe to graffe. fol. eod.88
139.To graffe bytwene the barke and the tree. fol. lxii.89
140.To nourysshe all maner of stone fruyte and nuttes. fol. lxiii.90
141.A shorte information for a yonge gentyllman that entendeth to thryue. fol. eod.90
142.A lesson made in Englysshe verses, that a gentylmans seruaunte shall forget none of his gere in his inne behynde hym. fo. lxv.93
143.A prologe for the wyues occupation. fo. eod.93
144.A lesson for the wyfe. fol. eod.94
145.What thynges the wyfe of ryghte is bounde to do. fol. lxvi.94
146.What warkes the wyfe oughte to doo generally. fo. eod.95
147.To kepe measure in spendynge. fo. lxvii.98
148.To eate within thy tedure. fo. lxviii.99
149.A shorte lesson vnto the husbande. fol. lxix.101
150.Howe menne of hye degree do kepe measure. fol. eodem101
151.Prodygalytie in outragyous and costelye araye. fol. lxx.102
152.Of delycyous meates and drynkes. fol. eod.103
153.Of outragious playe and game. fo. lxxi.104
154.A prologue of the thyrde sayinge of the philosopher. fo. lxxii.105
155.A dyuersytie bytwene predycation and doctryne. fol. eodem105
156.What is rychesse. fo. lxxiii.106
157.What is the propertie of a rych man. fo. lxxiiii.108
158.What ioyes & pleasures are in heuen. fo. lxxv.109
159.What thynge pleaseth god most. fol. lxxvi.109
160.What be goddes commaundementes. fo. eod.110
161.Howe a man shulde loue god and please hym. fol. eodem110
162.Howe a man shoulde loue his neyghbour. fol. lxxvii.111
163.Of prayer that pleaseth god verye moche. folio lxxviii.112
164.What thynge letteth prayer. fol. eod.112
165.Howe a man shulde praye. fo. lxxix.113
166.A mean to put away ydle thoughtes in prayenge. fol. lxxx.115
167.A meane to auoyde temptation. fol. lxxxi.116
168.Almes-dedes pleaseth god moche. fo. lxxxii.118
169.The fyrst maner of almes dede. fo. lxxxiii.119
170.The ii. maner of almes dede. fo. lxxxiiii.120
171.The iii. maner of almes dede. fol. lxxxv.121
172.What is the greattest offence that a man maye doo and offende god in. fo. lxxxvi.122

Thus endeth the table.


[Fol. 1.]

1. ¶ Here begynneth the boke of husbandry, and fyrste where-by husbande-men do lyue.

Husbandmen live by the plough and by cattle.
   The mooste generall lyuynge that husbandes can haue, is by plowynge and sowyng of theyr cornes, and rerynge or bredynge of theyr cattel, and not the one withoute the other. Than is the ploughe the moste necessaryest 4 instrumente that an husbande can occupy. Wherfore it is conuenyent to be knowen, howe a plough shulde be made.

2. ¶ Dyuers maners of plowes.

Different kinds of ploughs.
   There be plowes of dyuers makynges in dyuers countreys, and in lyke wyse there be plowes of yren of dyuers facyons. And that is bycause there be many maner of groundes and soyles. Some whyte cley, some 4 redde cley, some grauell or chylturne, some sande, some meane erthe, some medled with marle, and in many places heeth-grounde, and one ploughe wyll not serue in all places. Wherfore it is necessarye, to haue dyuers 8
[Fol. 1b.]
Somersetshire.
maners of plowes. In Sommersetshyre, about Zelcester, the sharbeame, that in many places is called the ploughe-hedde, is foure or fyue foote longe, and it is brode and thynne. And that is bycause the lande is verye toughe, 12 and wolde soke the ploughe into the erthe, yf the sharbeame
Kent.
were not long, brode, and thynne. In Kente they haue other maner of plowes, somme goo with wheles, as they doo in many other places, and some wyll 16 tourne the sheldbredth at euery landes ende, and plowe
Buckinghamshire.
all one waye. In Buckynghamshyre, are plowes made of an nother maner, and also other maner of ploughe-yrons, the whyche me semeth generally good, and lykely 20 to serue in many places, and specially if the ploughbeame and sharbeame be foure ynches longer, betwene the shethe and the ploughe-tayle, that the sheldbrede myght come more a-slope: for those plowes gyue out to sodeinly, 24 and therfore they be the worse to drawe, and for noo
Leicestershire, &c.
cause elles. In Leycestershyre, Lankesshyre, Yorkeshyre, Lyncoln, Norfolke, Cambrydge-shyre, and manye other countreyes, the plowes be of dyuers makinges, the whyche 28 were to longe processe to declare howe, &c. But how so euer they be made, yf they be well tempered, and goo well, they maye be the better suffred.
[Fol. 2.]

3. ¶ To knowe the names of all the partes of the plowe.

Parts of the plough.
   Men that be no husbandes maye fortune to rede this boke, that knowe not whiche is the ploughe-beame, the sharebeame, the ploughe-shethe, the ploughe-tayle, the stilte, the rest, the sheldbrede, the fenbrede, the roughe 4 staues, the ploughe-fote, the ploughe-eare or coke, the share, the culture, and ploughe-mal. Perauenture I gyue them these names here, as is vsed in my countre, and yet
Plough-beam.
in other countreyes they haue other names: wherfore ye 8 shall knowe, that the ploughe-beame is the longe tree
Share-beam.
aboue, the whiche is a lytel bente. The sharbeame is the
Plough-sheath.
tre vnderneth, where-vpon the share is set; the ploughe-sheth 1is a thyn pece of drye woode, made of oke, that is 12 set fast in a morteys in the plough-beame, and also in to the share-beame, the whiche is the keye and the chiefe