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Fiue hundred pointes of good husbandrie

56.

Reading edition

Augusts abstract.

Chap. 45.

1 Thry fallowing won, get compassing don. 2 In June and in Awe swinge brakes (for a lawe). 3 Pare saffron plot, forget it not. His dwelling made trim, looke shortly for him: When haruest is gon, then saffron comes on. 4 A little of ground brings saffron a pound. The pleasure is fine, the profit is thine. Kéepe colour in drieng, well vsed woorth buieng. 5[1] Maids, mustard séed reape, and laie on a heape. 6 Good neighbors in déede, change séede for séede. 7 Now strike vp drum,[2] cum haruest man cum. Take paine for a gaine, one knaue mars twaine.[E348] 8 Reape corne by the day,[3] least corne doo decay. By great is the cheaper, if trustie were reaper. 9 Blowe horne for sleapers, and chéere vp thy reapers.[4] 10 Well dooings who loueth, thes haruest points proueth. 11 Paie Gods part furst, and not of the wurst.[E349] 12 Now Parson (I say),[5] tith carrie away. 13 Kéepe cart gap wéele, scare hog from whéele. 14[6] Mowe hawme to burne, to serue thy turne: To bake thy bread, to burne vnder lead. 15 Mowne hawme being dry, no longer let ly. Get home thy hawme, whilst weather is cawme. 16 Mowne barlie lesse cost, ill mowne much lost. 17 Reape barlie with sickle, that lies in ill pickle.[7] Let gréenest stand, for making of band. Bands made without dew, will hold but a few. 18 Laie band[8] to find her, two rakes[9] to a binder. 19 Rake after sieth, and pay thy tieth. Corne carried all, then rake it ye shall. 20 Let shock take sweate, least gofe take heate. Yet it is best reason, to take it in season.[E350] 21 More often ye turne, more pease ye out spurne. Yet winnow them in, er carrege begin. 22 Thy carting plie, while weather is drie. 23 Bid gouing (clim)[10] goue iust and trim. Laie wheat for séede, to come by at néede. Séede barelie cast, to thresh out last. 24 Lay pease vpon stacke, if houell ye lack. And couer it straight, from doues that waight. 25 Let gleaners gleane, (the poore I meane). Which euer ye sowe, that first eate lowe. The other forbare, for rowen[11] to spare. 26 Come home lord singing, com home[12] corne bringing.[E351] Tis merie in hall, when[13] beards wag all.[E352] 27 Once had thy desire, pay workman his hire. Let none be beguilde, man, woman, nor childe. 28 Thanke God[14] ye shall, and adue for all.

Works after haruest.[15]

29 Get tumbrell in hand, for barlie land. 30 The better the muck, the better good luck. 31 Still carrege is good, for timber and wood. No longer delaies, to mend the high waies. 32 Some loue as a iewell, well placing of fewell. 33 In piling of logs, make houell for hogs. 34 Wife, plow doth crie, to picking of rie. 35 Such séede as ye sowe, such reape or else mowe. 36 Take shipping or ride, Lent stuffe to prouide. 37 Let haberden lie, in peasestraw drie. 38 When out ye ride, leaue a good guide. 39 Some profit spie out, by riding about. Marke now, thorow yéere, what cheape, what déere. 40 Some skill doth well to buie and to sell. Of théefe who bieth, in danger lieth. 41 Commoditie knowne, abrode is blowne. 42 At first hand bie, at third let lie. 43 Haue monie prest, to buie at the best. 44 Some cattle home bring, for Mihelmas spring.[E353] By hauke and hound, small profit is found. 45 Dispatch, looke home, to loitring mome. Prouide or repent, milch cow for Lent. 46 Now crone[16] your sheepe, fat those ye kéepe. Leaue milking old cow, fat aged vp now. 47 Sell butter and chéese, good Faires few léese. At Faires go bie, home wants to supplie. 48 If hops looke browne, go gather them downe. But not in the deaw, for piddling with feaw. 49 Of hops this knack, a meanie doo lack.[17] Once had thy will,[18] go couer his hill. 50 Take hop to thy dole, but breake not his pole. 51 Learne here (thou stranger) to frame hop manger. 52 Hop poles preserue, againe to serue. Hop poles by and by, long safe vp to dry. Least poles wax scant, new poles go plant.[19] 53 The hop kell dride, will best abide. Hops dried in loft, aske tendance oft. And shed their séedes, much more than néedes.[20] 54 Hops dride small cost, ill kept halfe lost. Hops quickly[21] be spilt, take héede if thou wilt. 55 Some come, some go, This life is so.

Thus endeth Augusts abstract, agréeing with Augusts husbandrie.

* * * Stanza 47 is st. 49 in Septembers Abstract in 1577; st. 48 is 50, second couplet reads—

But not in a deawe, nor pidling with feawe. 1577.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · Sts. 5, 6 are wanting in 1577.Note 2 · droom. 1577.Note 3 · There is a proverb: "One scabb'd sheep's enough to spoil a flock."Note 4 · Get reapers by day. 1577.Note 5 · giue gloues to, etc. 1573 (M.) and 1577.Note 6 · In Lincolnshire corn affected by the smut is called Parson corn, the reason assigned being that when tithes were paid in kind, the sheaves tNote 7 · That parson may. 1577.Note 8 · Sts. 14, 15, are wanting in 1577.Note 9 · Reape barley with hand, that will not stand. 1577.Note 10 · hand. 1577.Note 11 · rakers. 1577.Note 12 · Mow-burn is occasioned by the Hay being stack'd too soon, before its own juice is thoroughly dried, and by Norfolk people is called the Red Note 13 · In 1577, Bid goeuing clim. Query, abbreviation for Clement.Note 14 · rewen. 1577.Note 15 · cart. 1573 (M.), 1577.Note 16 · Hentzner, p. 79 (quoted in Harrison's Description of England, ed. F. J. Furnivall, p. lxxxiv), says: "As we were returning to our inn (at WiNote 17 · let. 1577.Note 18 · "Tis merie in hall, When beards wag all." This proverb is of great antiquity. It occurs in the Life of Alexander (formerly, but erroneouslyNote 19 · so. 1577.Note 20 · The Works after Haruest are not in editions previous to 1580 (M.). But stanzas 47 and 48 are in Septembers Abstract. 1577.—Ed.Note 21 · "For Mihelmas spring," that is, "for fear of injuring the young plants, etc., at Michaelmas."Note 22 · i.e. pick out the crones.—T.R., but cf. Glossary (Crone).Note 23 · put in thy pack. 1577.Note 24 · fyll. 1577.Note 25 · ley new to plant. 1577.Note 26 · The third couplet is omitted in 1577.Note 27 · soone. 1577.
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