THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



11 



made and translated it out of Frenshe into 

 Englyshe, which techeth all manner of men to 

 governe theyrlondes, tenements, and demenes, or- 

 dinatly as in the chapylres evidently is shewed," 



Now, whether or not this " tratyse " was written 

 by " Master Groshede," it is quite certain that it 

 was printed by Wynkn de Worde, who was Pyn- 

 son's contemporary, their earliest books being 

 printed in the same year, 1493, and they continued 

 rivals and publishing the same books until the date 

 of Wynkyn de Worde's death in 1534. A few 

 instances may be quoted. De Worde published 

 Mons, Perfectionis in 1497, and Pynson did so 

 the same year; Pynson published Diues and Pauper, 

 in 1493, and De Worde issued it in 1496; De 

 Worde brought out The Siege of Troy in 1503, as 

 did Pynson in 1513. That Wynkyn de Worde 

 did print the " tratyse" is proved by the copy, the 

 only one known to exist, in the University Li- 

 brary at Cambridge. It has his monogram, and is, 

 beyond a doubt, from the same sharp, broad-faced 

 old English type, and of the same black, un- 

 browned ink as gave birth to other acknowledged 

 works from his press. It is without a date ; but 

 either it was published as a rival to Fitzherbert's 

 " Boke," or this " Boke" was published to oppose 

 Grosseteste's " Tratyse." 



It is a small quarto of twelve leaves. On the 

 first page is a woodcut representing a steward or . 

 other party of authority, who, with hands out- 

 stretched in astonishment, is reprehending a wood- 

 man, who certainly needed the reproof, for he is 

 cutting off the top of a tree by the blows of an axe, 

 which have made a ruinous gap half-way up the 

 trunk. 



As it certain that it was printed by Wynkyn de 

 Worde, so is it equally beyond a doubt that it 

 treats of English husbandry. Groshede may 

 have first " made" it it in French, and then 

 " translated it out out of Frenshe into Englyshe," 

 but still the truth is apparent that it is written 

 concerning English husbandry, all the measures 

 are English, and so are all the attendant particu- 

 lars. The best evidences of this that can be placed 

 before our readers are the following extracts : — 



The first is what we should now call a " Table 

 of Contents" — 



" The i chapytre telleth how ye shall spende 

 your good and extende your londes. 



" The ii chapytre telleth how youre londe shall 

 1)6 niesured, and how many perches maketh an 

 acre, and how many acres maketh a yerde of londe, 

 and how many yerdes maketh an hyde of londe, 

 and how njany hydes maketh a knyghtes fee. 



" The iii chapytre telleth how many acres of 

 londe yt a plough may tele in a yere. 



" The iiii chapytre telleth a plough of oxen or a 

 plough of hors may tele more londe in a yere and 

 whiche is more costly. 



" The V chapytre telleth in what season ye shall 

 begynne to falowe all maner of londes. 



" The vi chapytre telleth how ye shall lay youre 

 londe at sede tyme. 



" The yii chapytre telleth how your londe shall 

 besowne in all seasons. 



" The viii chapytre telleth how ye shall chaunge 

 your sede and nourysshe your stubble. 



" The ix chapytre telleth how ye shall nourysshe 

 your dounge and wede your corne, and how it shall 

 be mesured out of the barne, and how moche an 

 acre shall yelde agayn more than your sede yt ye 

 sholde have wynnynge therhy. 



" The X chapytre telleth how ye shall chaunge all 

 maner of catell in season. 



" The xi chapytre telleth how ye shall change 

 youre werke bestes and wene youre calves, and 

 what proufFyte ye shall have of youre kyne, and 

 vayll to butter and chese. 



" The xii chapytre telleth howe ye sholde 

 nourysshe youre swyne and youre pygges. 



" The xiii chapytre telleth howe ye shal nourysshe 

 your shepe and dyvers medycynes for theym. 



" The xiiii chapytre telleth what profytes ye 

 shal have of youre ghees and hennes. 



" The XV. chapytre telleth how ye shall by and 

 selle and preve youre weyghtes. 



" The XVI chapytre telleth how ye shall take a 

 compte of youre balyf ones a yere." 



Of these " Chapytres" I will republish four : — 

 " The ii chapytre. 



"It is to wete that thre barlycornes take oute of 

 ye myddes of the eer maketh an ynche, and xii 

 ynches maketh a fote. And xvi fote and an halfe 

 maketh a perche, and xl perches in length and iiii 

 in brede maketh an acre of londe, and iiii (acres) 

 maketh a yerde of londe, and v yerdes maketh an 

 hyde of londe, and vii hydes maketh a knyghtes fee. 

 "The iii chapytre. 



" Some men say yt a plough may not tele viii 

 score or ix score acres of londe a yere. But I shall 

 prove it by good reason yt a plough may do it. 

 For ye shall understonde than an acre of londe is 

 in mesure xl perches in lengthe and ihi in brede, 

 and the mesure of a perche is xvi fote and an halfe. 

 And so ye brede of an acre of londe is xlvi fote, and 

 so ye go with youre plough xxxiii tymes up and 

 doune the londe and se the fyrst forowe be a fote 

 and eche of the other be in lyke qantyte and then 

 is an acreered. And whan the forowe is as strayte 

 as it may be than is it xxxvi tymes up and doune 

 the londe though it be a large acre. And the plough 

 be never so feble atteroost ye have gone but Ixxii 

 tymes up and doune ye londe, which is but v myle 

 way. Now truly the hors oroxe is feble that from 

 the morowe mayenotgo softely iii myle from home 

 and come agayn by none. And by this other rea- 

 son ye undstonde that there be Iii wekes in the yere, 

 take viii wekes for holy days and other leltynges 

 and there remaneth behynde xliiii to werke in the 

 se xliiii wekes ben cclx dayes besyde Sondayes. 

 Also a plough shall ere thryes. in the yere | yt is to 

 say in the wynter, in lenten, and in leke sede time. 

 In wynter a plough shall ere iii rodes and a halfe a 

 daye. And on eche other season an acre on the 

 day at the lest. Now knovve ye whether it maye be 

 done or not, but by cause ploughmen carters and 

 other fayne and werke not truly. It is behovefull 

 yt men fynde a remedy agaynst theyr servauntes. 

 And therefore it is necessary that the balyf or some 

 of the lordes offycers be with them the fyrste daye 

 of doynge folowynge and sowynge to se yf they 

 do theyr werkes truly, & let theym answer you as 

 moch werke as they dyde the fyrste day. Also it 

 is necessarye that youre balyf overse youre werke 



