THE OFFICE OF SENESCHAL 97 



throughout the manors that the corn be well gathered and 

 reaped evenly, and that the cocks and sheaves be small, 

 so will the corn dry the quicker ; and one can load, stack, 

 and thresh the small sheaf best, for there is greater loss in 

 the large sheaf than in the small. 



The bailiff ought, after St. John's Day, to cause all the 

 old and feeble oxen with bad teeth to be drafted out, and all 

 the old cows, and the weak and the barren, and the young 

 avers that will not grow to good, and put them in good 

 pasture to fatten, so the worst shall then be worth 

 a better. And he ought, three times a-year, to cause 

 all the sheep in his charge to be inspected by men who 

 know their business — that is, to wit, after Easter, because 

 of the disease of May, and later, for then sheep die and 

 perish by the disease ; and all that are found so, by the sure 

 proof of killing two or three of the best, and as many of the 

 middling, and as many of the worst, or by proof of the eye 

 or of the wool, which separates from the skin, let them be 

 sold with all the wool. And again, let all the old and weak 

 be drafted out before Lammas, and let them be put in good 

 pasture to fatten, and when the best have presently mended 

 and are fat, let them be sold to the butchers ; so can one 

 do well, for mutton flesh is more sought after and sold then 

 than after August ; and let all the rest of the draft beasts 

 which cannot be sold then be sold before Martinmas. And 

 the third time, at Michaelmas, let all the sheep be drafted 

 out ; for although sheep are sound at Easter and in May 

 and before Lammas, afterwards they can, between the two 

 feasts of our Lady, by bad keeping, eat the web of the rime 

 and the little white snails, from which they will sicken and 

 die ; and for this it is good to provide beforehand to make 

 profit of such, for if not all will be lost. 



The office of peovost. 



The provost ought to be elected and presented by the 

 common consent of the township, as the best husbandman 



