178 THE POULTRY-BOOK. 



them so much at once as they may well digest ; and to helpe 

 their digestion, some doe mixe with their meate of mustard- 

 seede, or anise-seedes. Thus ye may fat them in shorte space." 

 Hens. " Because," he adds, "it is the common office of 

 the countryman or woman to fat hens and poultrie, so likewise 

 it is for the craftsman to buy, keepe, and sell them ; and 

 because it shall not be unmete for both sortes to feede them, ye 

 shall understand ye must doe this : ye must prepare a warme 

 place and darke, and put each henne by herselfe in a penne, 

 made so narrowe that she cannot almost turne her therein, and 

 those pennes must have on both sides two holes, the one to put 

 forth her head, and the other her tayle and rumpe, and so to 

 give her meate when she hath disgested that in her craw, and 

 to cleanse her penne ofte, that her dongue doe not hinder her fat- 

 ting. Ye must also put cleane strawe under her, or softe haye 

 of the later season, for if they stand harde in the penne, they 

 will scantily faste. Ye must place (cut) all the feathers on 

 her heade and under her winges, and on her thighes ; those of 

 her heade and winges, because there shall come no lice to trou- 

 ble her ; the other feathers on her thighes, because the dongue 

 shall not annoy and cumber her tuell. Her meate shall be bar- 

 lye-meale made in paste with water and fashioned into pellets, 

 longwaies, and so to make her swallow them. The first day 

 it shall be better to give her but little meate, until she be accus- 

 tomed to digest it, for above all, yee must see that she digest 

 her meate well, and give her no more, so long as she hath any 

 meate in her croppe ; and when she is filde, let her go a little 

 without the penne, so that she go not farre. And thus ye may 

 see the general rule how to fat hennes ; and if ye will have 

 them fatte and tender withall, yee muste kneade your barlye- 

 meale with water and honey, and that will fatte them and make 

 them tender meat. Some doe put into three parts of water one 

 part of wyne or strong ale, and steep wheaten brea^ 1 therein, 



