RURAL ECONOMY IN YORKSHIRE IN 1641. U7 



lane, of dirte and mire, and the strawe was layd and drawne in 

 the yard, and the woman that di-ewe it had a forke standings 

 by her and gave it up ever as the thatcher called for it. In 

 makinge of an eize, the thatcher iintyeth the bottles, and then 

 hee lyeth the first bottle just downe as it is given him, endea- 

 vouringe that it may hange over as much on the one side as on 

 the other ; then the next bottles hee taketh them up by gir- 

 liuges, lyinge one girlinge towards the one side and the other 

 towards the other, layinge them out further and further by de- 

 grees, till hee have carryed it up as high as hee thinketh good ; 

 and then, att the last of all, hee taketh a girlinge of stubble, and 

 lyeth over thwart the other strawe ; for it is layd eaven forwards 

 as a wall goeth ; and thereon hee lyeth his morter : hee stand- 

 eth upon the wall himselfe, and carryeth up aboute halfe a yard, 

 or betwixt a foote and halfe a yard, att a com^se, to which hee 

 constantly useth three scuttles full of morter ; and in layinge on 

 of his morter, his manner is to take the strawe that is in the 

 bottome of the scuttles, and thrust the morter downe as lowe 

 as hee thinketh good, and then to plaine it with his trowell. 

 Wheate-strawe and rye-strawe are accounted the best for an 

 eized wall, because they are the longest ; but especially wheate- 

 strawe. The thatcher allwayes cutteth his eize when hee com- 

 meth downe to breakefast, dinner, and supper ; drye stubble is 

 nothinge pleasinge to him, for it maketh his hands sore, and 

 allsoe taketh away the edge and extreamely dulleth his eize- 

 knife. . Many will (after a geastinge manner) call the thatcher 

 Iiang-strawe," and say to him — 



Theaker, theaher, theake a spamie, 



Cone of your ladder and hang your man : 



the mans answeare — 



When my maister hayth thatched all his strawe, 



Hee will then come downe and hange him that sayeih soe. 



Short barley-strawe, that hayth beene longe steeped and soaked 

 with the wette, is the best for stoppinge of holes and pihnge 

 with, because it is sadder, and not soe subjeckt to bio we out 

 with everie blast of winde, as other hght and dry strawe is. 

 Such as doe not drawe out theire thatch handsomely, and lay it 

 streight in the bande, they will tell them that they doe not 

 drawe it, but onely bottle it upp. When wee bury wheate and 

 rye, wee usually throwe the strawe out into the backe-orchard, 

 towards the backe side, and gette it dessed and watered ever as 

 wee have leisure and occasion to use it ; but afore it bee dessed, 



* This term is yet known in WorcestersMre ; and possibly in some other counties. 

 I have been unable to detect it in Yorkshire. 



