50 AGRICULTURAL WRITERS. 



wife of Cono ; and Hermes, a servant — and consists of question and 

 reply. 



He states, in his epistle to the reader : 



Though I have altered and increased his worke, with mine on readings and 

 observations, joined with the experience of sundry in}' friends to take from him, as 

 divers in the like case have done, the honour and glory of his own travaile. Neither 

 is it in my minde that this either his doings or mine should deface or any wayes 

 darken the good enterprise or painfull travailes of such our countrymen of England as 

 have plentifully written of this matter but always have and do give them the reverence 

 and honour due to so vertuous and well disposed gentlemen, namely Master Fitzherbert 

 and Master Tusser ; whose workes may, in my fancie, without any presumption, 

 compare with any, either Varro, Columella, or Palladius of Rome. You have here 

 set down before you the rules and practices of the olde auncient husbands, as well 

 Greekes as Latines whose very orders, for the most part, at this day wee observe. 



He next gives a pageful of names " of such authours and husbands 

 whose authorities and observations are used in this booke." Among the 

 Englishmen he mentions Sir Nicholas Malbee, Capt. Bingham, John 

 Somer, Nicholas Yetzwert, Mr. Fitzherbert, William Lambert, Mr. 

 Tusser, Thomas Wherenhall, Richard Deering, Henrv Brockhull, Mr. 

 Franklin, H. King, Richard Andrews, Henry Denys, William Pratt, 

 John Hatche, Phillip Partridge, and Kenworth Dartforth. It will be 

 noted that many of these bear close resemblance to some of the county 

 family names of to-day. 



Here is an interesting extract from pages 5 and 6, modernised for 

 simplicity of reading. 



Most certain it is that a great number of Emperors have sprung from the plough, 

 and, to let others go, it is known that ihe Emperor Galerius and Maximinus came 

 both from poor heardsmen to the Imperial dignity. The like is written of Lustine, 

 Constantianus, Probus, and Aurelianus. The stories report that Curius the Emperor 

 was found in his house " boyling of a rape roote," when he refused the great sums of 

 gold brought by the Samnits Ambassadors. Cicero called Husbandry the Mistress 

 of Justice, diligence and thriftiness ; some others call it the mother and nurse of all 

 other arts. For whereas we may live without the other, without this we are notable to 

 sustain our life. The only gentlemanly way of increasing the house is the trade of 

 husbandry, and for this cause they were always accounted the perfectest gentleman 

 that, content with the living their Ancestors left them, lived in the countrie of their 

 Lands, not meddling with, figging, chopping and changing, not seeking their living bv 

 handicrafts. 



Varro in his time sayeth, there was great complaint made that the Fathers, 

 forsaking the plough and the sickle, began to creep into the Towne and busied 

 themselves rather with Pageants and Midsummer games than with the vineyard of the 

 field ; whereas the governors of Rome so divided the year as they assigned onlv the 

 ninth day for business of the City and the rest of the time for the tillage of the country, 

 whereby, being hardened with labour, they might be better able to abide " the travaile 

 of warres." These country people were always preferred before the people of the City, 

 and more Nobility thought to be in them that till the ground abroad than in those that, 

 living idly within the walls spent their time under the shadow of the penthouse; except 

 a man will, with the common sort, think it more honest to get his living with the blood 



