RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 21 



your best way will bee to howse them all night, viz. : — to lye 

 them in some howse or barne wheare they may not bee straited 

 for roome. 



An ordinary chpper wiU make a shifte to clippe threescore, 

 or threescore and tenne, sheepe in a day ; but a good chpper, if 

 hee beginne betimes, will chppe fowerscore, or fowerscore and 

 tenne, and that without any greate difficulty. 



Clippers are to have -id. a score for clippinge ; and then are 

 you to sende them aboute noone a groates worth of ale, and 

 breade, and cheese, and perhapps a cheescake ; and against that 

 time they make an ende, yow are to make ready a dinner for 

 them, and to provide five or sixe services, and aUwayes a joynte 

 of roasted mutton for one of your services ; for that is allwayes 

 expeckted of them. Our manner is allwayes to looke howe 

 many sheepe we have to chppe, and for every threescore and 

 tenne, or fowerscore, to provide a severaU chpper ; it is usuall 

 with many aUsoe, when they give them theire money, to give 

 them 2d. or Sd. to drinke. Clippers bringe usually each of 

 them two paire of sheares, and one or other of them a whet- 

 stone in his pockette to sharpe them withaU : yow are to give 

 charge to the clippers that [they] have an especiaU care of 

 prickinge and chppinge the skinne ; whearefore yow are aU- 

 wayes to have a dish-standinge by, either with tarre or sheepe- 

 salve, that if they chance to give a chppe yow may lye a httle 

 tarre on it, and there is noe fui-ther dainger ; but if they chance 

 to give a pricke with the pointe of theire sheares, then your 

 best way is to clippe the peece quite out ; otherwise it will 

 sweU and putrifie and the flies blowe it, and maggotts ; and, as 

 soone as yow have chpped the peece out, yow are but to lay on 

 a httle taiTe and yow have finished the cure. It is usuall, aU- 

 soe, and a custom in some places, to chppe theire lambes aboute 

 the latter ende of June ; yett hereaboutes wee can never finde 

 any profitte that way, wherefore wee ueaver use it. 



Tusser's advice for sheep-shearinge. 



"Wash sheei^e for the better wheare water doth runne, 

 And lette him goe cleanlj^ and dry in the sunne ; 

 Then share him, and spare not att two dayes an ende, 

 The sooner, the better bis corps wiU amende. 

 Reward not thy sheepe, when yee take of bis coate, 

 With twitches and patches, as broade as a groate : 

 Lett not such ungentleness happen to thine. 

 Least fly with her gentills doe make it to pine. 

 Let lambes goe undipped, till June bee halfe worne, 

 The better the fleeces will growe to bee shorne : 

 The pye will discharge thee of pullinge the rest ; 

 The hghter the sheepe is, then feedeth it best. 



