RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 71 



then doe wee sette on the potte, and daube all aboute the sides 

 with clay, to the ende that noe heate may gette forth ; then doe 

 wee first putte in our tarre, and then our pitch, uppermost, 

 puttinge them both in afore wee begimie to kindle our fire ; 

 then doe wee keepe a goode quicke fire under the potte till such 

 time as the pitch is all melted, and the markinge beginne to 

 boyle ; for yow are not to beginne to niarke soe longe as the 

 markinge stufie is any thinge clamme, or cleaveth and ropeth 

 aboute the burne and botte ; but lette it bee as thinne and 

 runne of Hke water afore yow beginne to marke, otherwise yow 

 doe but wast yoiu- markinge ; and when yow marke yow are 

 but to dippe in the very bottome of the burne and botte, and 

 then it maketh a cleaner and better impression. Yow are all- 

 way es to make choise of a faire and dry day to marke in, for if 

 the wolle bee any thinge wette, the markinge will take noe 

 holde. The blackest and best of the markinge is allwayes the 

 uppermost, whearefore yow shoulde allwayes marke the hogges 

 first, because their woU is allwayes rough and tasliled, and not 

 soe snodde as the wolle of an olde slieepe, and therefore re- 

 ceiveth not the markinge soe well. If your markinge bee 

 cleare and thinne, and have boyled a while afore you beginne to 

 marke, then 121b. of pitch and three pottles of tan-e will very 

 neare serve 300 sheepe ; and usually soe soone as the markinge 

 hath boyled a while and is thinne enough, wee stoppe up the 

 mouth of the furnace to keepe in the smoak that it trouble us 

 not. Wee have usually one or two to give the sheepe out of 

 the penne, and three to bringe them to the side of the furnace 

 and holde them till they bee marked, and then can wee marke 

 800 sheepe easily in lesse then two houres. Wee had att Mar- 

 tymnasse, after that our sheepe weare marked, just 15 score and 

 10 sheepe and hogges of our owne ; whearof 14 score and 12 

 weare marked, and 18 mmiarked ; and of these 10 score and 

 13 went to field againe ; three score and 19 weare putte into 

 the Carre, wheareof there was three score and 16 hogges, with 

 that Httle hogge that was bought of Priscilla, and three olde 

 ewes ; the 18 that weare left unmarked weare those that weare 

 putte into the Becke Close to kill ; whearefore wee woulde not 

 bestowe markinge of them : there was thus many after that 

 William's* shearinge dyed. Three pottles of tarre and twelve 

 pownde of pitch will scarce serve for the markinge of 300 

 sheepe, whearefore wee provided (against this time) two gallons 

 of tarre and 16 pownde of pitch. Many hogges which (att the 

 first) are of a rough and hairy stapple, theire wooll prooveth 



* The Priscilla thus familiarly mentioned is probably Priscilla Browne. The 

 "William is certainly his younger son. 



