MANUSCRIPT AND PRINTED HERBALS 51 



of us are interested. He tells us of the feeding of swine with 

 acorns. Of the making and baking of bread (including the 

 thrifty custom of mixing cooked beans with the flour " to 

 make the brede the more hevy"). Incidentally, and with all 

 due respect, it may be remarked that he had no practical know- 

 ledge of this subject, his vivid description being obviously that 

 of an interested spectator. There is an airy masculine vague- 

 ness about the conclusion of the whole matter of bread-making 

 " and at last after many travailes, man's lyfe is fedde and 

 sustained therewith." He tells us of the use of laurel leaves 

 to heal bee and wasp stings and to keep books and clothes 

 from " moths and other worms," of the making of " fay re 

 images " and of boxes wherein to keep " spy eery " from the 

 wood of the box-tree. Of the making 'of trestle tables 

 " areared and set upon feet," of playing boards " that men 

 playe on at the dyes [dice] and other gamys. And this maner 

 of table is double and arrayd wyth dyerse colours." Of the 

 making of writing tables, of wood used for flooring that " set 

 in solar floors serue all men and bestys y l ben therein, and 

 ben treden of alle men and beestys that come therein," and 

 so strong that " they bende not nor croke [crack] whan they 

 ben pressyd w l heuy thynges layd on them." And also of 

 boards used for ships, bridges, hulks and coffers, and " in shyp- 

 breche [shipwreck] men fle to bordes and ben ofte sauyd in 

 peryll." Of the building of houses with roofs of " trees 

 stretchy d from the walles up to the toppe of ye house," with 

 rafters " stronge and square and hewen playne," and of the 

 covering of strawe and thetche [thatch]." Of the making of 

 linen from the soaking of the flax in water till it is dried and 

 turned in the sun and then bound in " praty bundels " and 

 " afterward knockyd, beten and brayd and carflyd, rodded and 

 gnodded; ribbyd and heklyd and at the laste sponne," of the 

 bleaching, and finally of its many uses for making clothing, and 

 for sails, and fish nets, and thread, and ropes, and strings (" for 

 bows "), and measuring lines, and sheets (" to reste in "), and 



