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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



spreede it evenlye ;" to leave none where " the 

 greate heepe stoode," and not to let the heaps stand 

 too long, lest if they took a shower of rain the 

 goodness of the manure should "runne into the 

 grounde where the heape standes, and the rest 

 when it is spreade wyll lyttle profyt. " He 

 also recommends the use of " marie." 



Another of the books into which the work was 

 divided, is devoted to the " breedyng, oderyng, and 

 usage of cattell by the whatsoever els appertaynes 

 to theme, aad fyrst of sheepe." In this, when 

 speaking of "what thynges rottethe sheepe," he 

 gives a list of things, such as " the grasse called 

 spear-woorte," and another called " penny-grasse," 

 and also " all manner of grasse that the lande 

 floode runneth over ;" all " marrishe grounde and 

 marshe groundes, salt-mashes only excepted." 

 And then he adds, " hunger rotte is the worst rotte 

 that can be." 



It is ever noticeable that in all barbarous coun- 

 tries, and even in those approaching towards civi- 

 lization, to the women is assigned labours for 

 which men are better adapted. It is more espe- 

 cially so in the warmer chmates of our globe ; 

 but even in northern England, in Fitzherbert's 

 book, we find the following grave assignment of 

 hard duties to a farmer's wife of the time of Henry 

 VIH.— 



" It is the wyfe's occupatyon to wynnow all man- 

 ner of corne, to make malt, to wash and wringe, 

 to make haye, to sheere corne, and, in tyme of 

 needs, to help her husbande to fyll the muck- 

 Avayne or dunge-cart; to dryve the plowe, to loade 

 corne, &c. ; to go or ryde to the market, to sell 

 butter, mylk, cheese, pygges, and all manner of 

 corn," &c. 



After describing the sundry duties of the wife 

 in attending the market, our author goes on to re- 

 mark — 



"And 'also to bye all manner of necessarye 

 thynges belongynge to householde, and to make a 

 trewe rekenynge and a compte to her busbande 

 what she hath receyed and what she hath payed ; 

 and if the husbande go to the market to bye or sell, 

 as they ofte do, he then to shewe his wyfe in lyke 

 manner. For if one of them shoulde use to de- 

 ceyve the other he deceyveth hymselfe, and he is 

 not lyke to thryve, and therefore they must be 

 trewe eyther to other. I could, peradventure, 

 shewe the husbandes dyvers poynts that the wyves 

 deceyve them in, and in lyke manner howe hus- 

 bandes deceyve theyr wyves ; but if I shulde do 

 so, I shulde shewe more subtyll poyntes of deceyt 

 than either of them knewe of before, and therefore 

 me semeth beste to holde my peace." 



The "Thyrde Boke" of husbandry is upon 

 planting timber trees, of which he was evidently 

 enlightened enough to perceive the private and 

 national advantages. Then there is added to the 

 work sundry domestic matters, which Fitzherbert 

 most probably never intended to appdftr in a book 

 of husbandry — such as the sections on the use of 

 the cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and other spices 

 —receipts for " a balme," and " an approved re- 

 ceyte for the gowte." 



His " Fourthe Booke" is still more of a domestic 

 nature, " contaynyng the orderying of an house- 



holde." In this he is particular in his directions 

 how the men-servants should be kept in order and 

 honest, for he had evidently a strong suspicion that 

 in those days they were roguishly inclined. Then 

 he proceeds to give directions for breeding all kinds 

 of poultry — how many eggs should " be sette under 

 your henne," and says the number should " be 

 odde," either a "fyfteene or nyneteene," according 

 to the season ; and then he has several other little 

 sections on similar subjects, and so rarely makes a 

 mistake in his common-sense observations, that we 

 are the more amused when he tells us very gravely, 

 when speaking of swans, that *' when they waxe 

 olde they do declare the tyme of theyr owne death 

 to be neere approachyng by a sweete and lament- 

 able note whych they then syng." 



Towards the close of this book, Fitzherbert has 

 sundry chapters full of quotations from the holy 

 fathers regarding pleasing God, almsgiving, prayer, 

 &c. Living however, as he did, in very ticklish 

 Protestant and Popish days, when heresy was 

 treated in a very summary and fierry manner, he 

 thought it well to add — 



" I make protestation before God and man that 

 I intende not to wryte anythinge that is or may be 

 contrary to the fayth of Cryste and of Holy 

 Church ; but I am redye to revoke my sayinge if 

 anythinge have passed my mouthe for want of 

 lernynge, and to submylte myself to correction, 

 and my boke to reformatyon." 



" Go lythell quere, and recommende me 



To all that this treatyse shall se, here, or rede ; 

 Prayenge them therewith content to be. 

 And to amende it in places where, as is nede. 

 Of eloquence they may perceyve I want the sede. 

 And rethoryke in me doth not abounde. 

 Wherefore I have sowe such sedes as I foud." 



At page 91, Fitzherbert thus concluded his 

 book — 



" Thus endeth this ryght profytable boke of hus- 

 bandry, compyled sometyme by Mayster Fitzher- 

 barde of charytie ;ind good zele that he bare to the 

 weale of this mooste noble realme, whyche he 

 dydde not in his youthe, but after he had exer- 

 cysed husbandry with great experyence xl, years. 



" Imprynted at London, in Flete-streete, in the 

 house of Thomas Berthelet, nere to the condite, at 

 the synge of Lucrece. Cum privilegio." 



In the same volume of the British Museum 

 Library is also bound up another work of Fitz- 

 herbert's entitled, " Surveyinge, a.d. 1539." 



The work of Bishop Grotehede, or Greathead, 

 disputes with the Boke of Fitzherbert the merit of 

 being the first English treatise on agriculture. The 

 claims of both these interesting works have been, 

 on a recent occasion, too fairly and clearly stated 

 by the editors of the " Cottage Gardener" to need 

 any other description ("Cottage Gardener," vol. 

 xxxii., p. 52). 



After alluding to the edition of Fitzherbert 

 printed in 1523 by Richard Pynson, they add — 



There is as early, if not an earlier, work, how- 

 ever, even than that of Fitzherbert's. It is entitled 

 as follows : — 



" Here begynneth a tratyse of Husbandry which 

 Mayster Groshede, sometyme byshop of Lyncoln, , 



