55. How to know rotten sJieep. 51 



two pens, and neuer beareth floure. All maner of grasse, 

 that the lande-floudde renneth ouer, is verye ylle for [Foi. 33*.] 

 12 shepe, bycause of the sande and fylthe that stycketh 



vppon it. All marreys grounde, and marsche grounde is Marsby_ 



ground is 



yll for shepe ; the grasse that groweth vppon falowes is bad. 

 not good for shepe ; for there is moche of it wede, and 



1 6 ofte tymes it commeth vppe by the rote, and that br\'ng- 



eth erthe with it, and they eate both, &c. Myldewe- MUdew. 

 grasse is not good for shepe, and that ye shall knowe two 

 wayes. One is by the leaues on the trees in the mom- 



20 ynge, and specyally of okes ; take the leaues, and putte 

 thy tonge to them, and thou shalt fele lyke hony vppon 

 them. And also there wyll be many kelles vppon the 

 grasse, and that causeth the myldewe- Wherfore they 



24 may not well be let out of the folde tyll the sonne haue 



domynation to drye them awaye. Also hunger-rotte is Hunger- 

 the worst rotte that can be, for there is neither good 

 flesshe nor good skynne, and that cometh for lacke of 



28 meate, and so for hunger they eate suche as they can 

 fynde : and so will not pasture-shepe, for they selden 

 rot but with myldewes, and than wyll they haue moch 

 talowe and fleshe, and a good skyn. Also white snailes white 



32 be yll for shepe in pastures, and in falowes. There ^°*''*' 

 is an other rotte, whiche is called pelte-rotte, and that Peit-rot. 

 commeth of greatte wete, specyally in woode countreyes, [Poi. 34.] 

 where they can not drj'e. 



55. \ To knowe a rotten shepe dyners maner wayes, 

 wlierof some of them wyll not fayle. 



Take bothe your handes, and twyrle vpon his eye, and How to 

 if he be ruddy, and haue reed stryndes in the white of rottensheep, 

 the eye, than he is sounde ; and if the eye be white, lyke 

 4 talowe, and the stryndes darke-coloured, thanne he is 

 rotten. And also take the shepe, and open the wolle 

 on the syde, and yf the skynne be of ruddy colour and 



