The feventeeiltli Booke of 



firtgof their landsj as in pitching of a field: arid commonly every thing that commcth under G 

 good hands, the more neat and cleane that the ufage thcreofis,2nd the greater paines that is ta- 

 ken about it, the better it thriveth and profpercth afterwards. What (liali wee fay more ? was not 

 [C.-^ttflf!^] Senanpis (when the honourable digniiie of Confulfhip was prefenred unto him, 

 with commilfion to conduct the Romane armie) found fbwing his own field and planting trees, 

 whereupon he tooke that furname Serranm ? As for M^intim Cincinnatm^ a puricvant or mcl- 

 fengcr ofthe Senat brought unto him the letters patents of his Didatorfhipj at what time as he 

 was in proper perfon ploughing a pecccof ground of his owne, containing foure acres and no 

 more, which are now called Praia Quintiana, p. ^intim his medowes] lying within the Vati- 

 , cane : and (as it is reported) not only bare-hcadedwas hee and open breafted, but alfo all naked 

 33 andfullof duft. The foicfaid officer or fergeant takinghim in this manner. Doc on your cloths 

 3j fir (quoth he) and cover your bodiejthat 1 may deliver unto you the charge that 1 have from the ^ 

 55 Senate andpeopic of Rome. Where, noteby the way^that fuch Purfivants and Sergeants in 

 thofcdaies were named Viatores ; for that eftfoons they were fent to fetch both Senatours and 

 Gcnerall captaintsoutof the fields where they were atworkc: butnowjfee how the times bee 

 chaungcd I They that doc this bufincfle in the field, what are they but bondflaves fettered, con- 

 demned malefadours manacled, and in one word, noted perfons and fuch as are branded and 

 marked in their vifage with an hot yronpHowbcit the Earth, whome wee call our Mother, and 

 whomewewouldfecAetoworfhip, isnotfodcafeandfenflefle, but fheknoweth well enough 

 how (he is by them deprived of that honour which was done in old timC' unto her : in fo much as 

 we may well wcet, that againft her will (iie yceldeth truit as i"he doth 5 howfoever wee would have 

 it thought, by thefe glorious titles given unto her, that fhee is nothing difpleafed therewith, ^ 

 namcly^to be laboured and wrought by fuch vile andbafe hirelings . But weeforfooth doemar- 

 veile^ that the labour of thelc contemptible bondflaves and abjed villaines doth not render the 

 like profit, as that travailc in former times of great Captains and LL .Generals. And in veric 

 truth, even among other forreinc nations, it was counted a princelikc profelTion in deed, to bee 

 able for to give rules and directions about Husbandrie : forfo we may fee, that both kings have 

 ftudied this argument, as namely f//>r<^, Vhilometor ^Attains ^ and ArckUus : zxiA alfo martiall 

 captaincs, to mi^Xctjofhon^m^ Mago the Carthaginian. As for Mago verily, our Senat did him 

 that honour after Carthage was woon,thatin lacking it and giving away among divers LL. of 

 Affi icke J the Libraries iherefound ; they thought good to refetve oncly 28 volumes of his , and 

 penned by him as touching Agriculture, and to have them tranflatcd into the Latine tongue ^ 

 (notwithftandingthatA/.C«/i>hadalreadie beforetimeputout in writing and let forth certame 

 rules and precepts thercf j ) giving order for this Tranflacion, to thoTe that were well feen in the 

 Punicke or Carthaginian language: in whichbufinefle,D.^jy//^;»«« a Romane gentleman of a 

 right worOiipfuIl houfe, went beyond all others. As for great Ichollers and men of profound 

 and deepe learning, a number there were befides that travailed in this matter, whome wee have 

 named alreadie in the forefront j and eftfoons fhall mention in the difcourfe of this volume. In 

 which raunge we muft nominate not unthankfully among the meaneft writers,A/,rrf/r<?,who be- 

 ing fourfcoreyeeres old and one, thought it not amide to compile a ipeciall bookeand treatife 

 of Husbandrie. 



Chap, iiii* 

 Themamerof Hmbandrieinaun dent time, 



LAte it was ere the Romans began tofet their minds upon Vines and Vineyards: for at firft 

 they tilled only cornc fields for very neceflitie,cvenas much as might fufficc to fervc the 

 citie. The order and manner whereof, I will fetinhand to treat of; not after a vulgar and 

 common fort, butaccordingtomyufuall manner hitherto, more foundly: as having fought 

 out with all care anddiligencCjUOt only the ancient pradlilein times paft,but the inventions al- 

 fo of late daies 5 and withall, fearched into the cauies and reafons of every thing,&found them M 

 out. My purpofe is befides, tofpeakcin this ireatifc of the fixed Starres, their rifing and fetting, 

 their apparition and occultation,togither with their infiucnces, as they are undoubtedly obfer* 

 ved and feen here upon earth. And this,my meaning is to doe after a plaine and familiar fort : fot 

 ^as much as they, who hitherto wrote of this argument, have handled the fame fofwectly, and 



penned 



