42 



37. Of sheep. 



20 herrings, to .viii. d. and there is but .xii. score herino-es, and that 



at 5 for 2d., ° ' 



cost 8^. ; 12 is but .xii. grotes, and xii. grotes, and that cometh but to 

 much are 24 ^yiii. s. and SO he hath lost .iiii. d. and it is bicause there be 



groats, or 



*^- "^ not so many bargeins, for in the bienge of these .CC. 



heringes there be .v. score bargeins, and in the sellinge 

 of the same there be but .xlviii. bargeyns, and so is 

 there lost .x. hearinges, the whiche wolde haue ben .ii. 

 bargeyns moo, and than it had ben euen and mete. And 

 therfore he that byeth grosse sale, and retayleth, muste 

 nedes be a wynner. And so shalt thou be a loser, if 

 thou sell thy pees, beanes, and fytches together : for than 



[Foi. 26*.] 28 thou sellest grosse sale. And if thou seuer them in thre 

 partes, than thou doest retayle, wherby thou shalte wynne. 



20 



Always buy 24. 

 by gross ' 



sale, and 

 sell by retail. 



37. ^ Of shepe, and what tyme of the yere the rammes 

 shulde be put to the ewes. 



AN housbande can not well thryue by his come, 

 without he haue other cattell, nor by his cattell, with- 

 out corne. For els he shall be a byer, a borower, or 

 4 a begger. And bycause that shepe in myne opynyon is 

 the mooste profytablest cattell that any man can haue, 

 therfore I pourpose to speake fyrst of shepe. Than 

 fyrst is to be knowen, what tyme thou shalt put thy 

 8 rammes to thy ewes ; and therin I make a distinction, for 

 euery man maye not put to theyr rammes all at one 

 tyme ; for if they doo, there wyll be greate hurte and 

 losse ; for that man, that hath the best shepe-pasture for 

 12 wynter, and soone spryngynge in the begynnynge of the 

 yere, he maye suffre his rammes to goo with his ewes 

 all tymes of the yere, to blyssomme or ryde whan they 

 wyll : but for the comon pasture, it is tyme to put to his 

 Sept. 14. 1 6 rammes at the Exaltation of the holye crosse : for than 

 [Foi. 27.] the bucke goth to the rut, and so wolde the razwme. 



But for the common husbande, that hath noo pasture but 

 the common fieldes, it is tyme ynoughe at the feste of 



Sheep are 

 the most 

 profitable 

 cattle. 



Rams and 

 ewes. 



