IIG RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. 



a binder, in the clayes, and to every fower or five sythes a 

 stooker ; yett a stooker will make a shift to stooke after three 

 binders, if they doe but throwe in his sheaves ; in the Woulds 

 wee allowe but one binder to three sythes. Stubble barley is 

 allwayes ripe afore any other barley, viz. ; such as is sowne after 

 ■wdnter come ; as for example Garton httle Wandill ; then that 

 which is sowne on unmanured land, if the land bee aU aUke, 

 then that which is first sowne. Rye would allwayes bee sowne 

 on land that is mannured eyther with the coupe or the folde, 

 and although it bee soe yett if a dash of raine come in the sow- 

 inge or before that it bee come out of the grownd, then it neaver 

 prooveth well. 



In the middle field beyond Keldiegate where the flatte runnes 

 out, that is called the stintage, and that which is up towards the 

 SpeUowe heads is sayd to bee above the stintinge, and that which 

 is on this side the sayd place is sayd to bee belowe the stintinge. 

 Although the weather bee neaver soe seasonable yett would all 

 come stand a fortnight or very neare in the stooke. Take not 

 barley before it bee ripe. 



CONCERNINGE OUR FASHIONS ATT OUR COUNTRY WeDDINGES. 



Usually the yoimge mans father, or hee himselfe, wiites to 

 the father of the maid, to knowe if hee shall bee welcome to 

 the howse, if hee shall have his furtherance if hee come in such 

 a way, or howe hee liketh of the notion ; then if hee pretend 

 any excuse, onely thankinge him for his good wiU, then that is 

 as good as a denyall. If the motion bee thought well of, and 

 imbraced, then the younge man goeth perhapps twice, to see 

 howe the mayd standeth affeckted ; then if hee see that shee 

 bee tractable, and that her inclination is towards him, then the 

 third time that hee A-isiteth, hee perhapj>s giveth her a tenne 

 shillinge peece of gold, or a ringe of that ])nce ; or perhapps a 

 twenty shiUinge peece, or a ringe of that price ; then the next 

 time, or next after that, a payre of gloves of 6^. 8(/. or 10s. a 

 payre ; and after that, each other time, some conceited toy or 

 novelty* of less value. They \nsite usually every three weekes 

 or a moneth, and are usually halfe a yeare, or very neare, from 

 the fii*st goinge to the conclusion. Soe soone as the younge 

 folkes are agreed and contracted, then the father of the mayd 

 caiTyeth her over to the younge mans howse to see howe they 

 like of all, and there doth the yoimge mans father meete them 

 to treate of a dower, and likewise of a joynture or feofiment for 



' With this expression compare Hooker's Eeclesinstieal Polity, Book V., section 

 47- " Shall that which hath always received tiiis and no other construction be now 

 disguised with the toy of novelty ?" 



