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 Gather the eggs.
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 [Fol. 61b.]
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 Put in order the garden.
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 Better are March hards than April flax.
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 sheets, towels, and shirts.
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 [Fol. 62.]
a gap, and muste nedes be had. The bolles of flaxe, whan they be ripeled of, must be rideled from the wedes, Dry the flax.
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 Sometimes there is a great deal to do.
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. Leave that till last which will best wait.
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 [Fol. 62b.]
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 With some of the wool make clothes.
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, Winnow corn, brew, wash, make hay, etc.
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 Sell the butter, cheese, hens, geese, and corn.
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 Keep accounts.
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 [Fol. 63.]
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 I will not explain all points of deceit.
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 Else I should act like the Knight de la Tour,
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 who wrote a book against vice,
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 but really taught vice.
to resyste or deny theyr desyre. And by the sayd boke 116 hath made bothe the men and the women to knowe more [Fol. 63b.]
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. ¶ Соблюдать меру в расходах.
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 Keep measure.
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 Spendthrifts come to poverty.
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 [Fol. 64.]
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 Spend according to your income;
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, or, in plain English,
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 eat within your tether.
in englysshe, and that they maye well vnderstande, and that is this, Eate within thy tedure.
148. ¶ Есть в пределах достатка.
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 [Fol. 64b.]
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 Do not spend much at the beginning of the year.
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 Give not your horse too long a tether.
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 If the horse break his tether,
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 [Fol. 65.]
he stande in prison, without any meate, vnto the tyme thou hast payde his raunsome to the pynder, and also 28 he will be impounded.
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 Wherefore, ‘eat within thy tether.’
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 Do not break your tether.
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. ¶ Краткий урок для мужа.
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. ¶ Как люди высокого положения соблюдают меру.
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.
[Fol. 66.]
151. ¶ Расточительность в возмутительных и дорогостоящих нарядах.
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, Man is but worm’s meat.
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. ¶ О вкусных яствах и напитках.
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. ¶ О возмутительных играх и забавах.
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.