Which heretofore neuer this booke did recite.
With lessons approoued, by practise and skill:
To profit the ignorant, buie it that will.
The Champion differs from Seuerall much,
For want of partition, closier and such.
One name to them both doo I giue now & than,
For Champion countrie, and Champion man.
[1] yer. 1585.
[2] travail. 1577.
[3] The lessons that after those figures so stand. 1577.
[4] The edition of 1577 contains only the first two verses.
_The Table of Husbandrie.
A Table of the pointes of husbandrie mentioned in this booke._
* * * Roman words in [ ] are wanting in 1577 edition; _italics_ in [ ]
are additions in the edition of 1577, in which _y_ is substituted for
_ie_, and accented é is unused.
The Epistle to the Lord William Paget deceased, and the occasion first
of this booke.
The Epistle to the Lord Thomas Paget, second sonne, and now heire to
the Lord William Paget his father.
[_The Epistel_] To the Reader.
[An Introduction to the booke of husbandrie.]
[A Preface to the buier of this booke. _The preface._]
The commoditie[s] of husbandrie.
The praise of husbandrie [_by a redele_].
The description of [husband &] husbandrie.
The ladder [_of xxxiiij steps_] to thrift.
Good husbandlie lessons worthie to be followed of such as will thriue.
An habitation inforced, [_aduisedly_] better late than neuer; [_made_]
upon these wordes, Sit downe Robin and rest thée.
[The farmers dailie diet.
A description of the properties of winds all ye times of the yere.
Of the Planets.]
Septembers abstract.
[Other short remembrances for September.]
Septembers husbandrie [_with the nedeful furnyture of ye barne stable,
plough, cart, yard, & field, togither with the manner of gathering
hops, drying & keping them_].
[A digression to husbandlie furniture.
The residue of Septembers husbandrie, agréeing with his former
abstract.]
Octobers abstract.
[Other short remembrances for October.]
Octobers husbandrie.
[A digression to the vsage of diuers countries concerning tillage.
The residue of Octobers husbandrie, agréeing with his former abstract.]
Nouembers abstract.
[Other short remembrances for Nouember.]
Nouembers husbandrie [agréeing with his former abstract].
Decembers abstract.
[Other short remembrances for December.]
Decembers husbandrie [agréeing with his former abstract].
A digression [_directing_] to hospitalitie.
A description of time, and the yere.
A description of life & riches.
A description of houskéeping.
A description of [the feast of the birth of Christ, commonlie called]
Christmas.
A description of apt time to spend.
Against fantastical scruplenes.
Christmas husbandlie fare.
A Christmas caroll [of the birth of Christ, vpon the tune of king
Salomon].
Ianuaries abstract [_and at the end thereof diuers sorts of trees and
frutes to bee then set or remoued, following the order of ye alphabet
or crosserowe_].[E4]
[Other short remembrances for Ianuarie.
Of trées or fruites to be set or remooued.]
Ianuaries husbandrie [agréeing with his former abstract].
Februaries abstract.
[Other short remembrances for Februarie.]
Februaries husbandrie [agréeing with his former abstract].
Marches abstract [_and at the ende therof, the names of the seedes,
herbes, flowers & rootes than to be sowen or set, unles the time
be otherwise noted by expresse wordes, as wel for kitchin herbes,
strowing herbes & flowers, as herbes to stil & for phisick, set after
the order of the alphabet or crosserowe_].
[Other short remembrances for March.
Seedes and hearbes for the kitchen.
Herbes and rootes for sallets and sauce.
Herbs or rootes to boile or to butter.
Strowing herbs of all sorts.
Herbes, branches and flowers for windowes and pots.
Herbs to still in Summer.
Necessarie herbes to growe in the garden for Physicke not rehersed
before.]
Marches husbandrie [agréeing with his former abstract _with the maner
of setting of hops_].
Aprils abstract.
Aprils husbandrie [agréeing with his former abstract _with a lesson
for dairy maide Cisseley and of x toppings gests in hir whitmeat,
better lost then found_.]
[A digression to dairie matters.
A lesson for dairie maid Cisley of ten toppings gests.]
Maies abstract.
[Two other short remembrances for Maie.]
Maies husbandrie [agréeing with his former abstract].
Junes abstract.
[A lesson of hopyard.]
Junes husbandrie [agréeing with his former abstract, _with a lesson to
chuse a meete plot for hopps and howe then to be doing with the same_.]
[A lesson where and when to plant good hopyard.]
Julies abstract.
Julies husbandrie [agréeing with his former abstract _and hay
harvest_].
Augusts abstract.
[Workes after haruest.]
Augusts husbandrie [agréeing with his former abstract _& corne
haruest_].
[Corne haruest equally diuided into ten partes.]
[_The conclusion of the whole booke set out in_ 12 _verses euery word
beginning with a T ye first letter of the Authors name_.]
[A briefe conclusion in verse, euerie word beginning with a T.]
Mans age [_divided into xij prentiships_, from seuen yeares to
fourescore and foure].
[_A briefe description of thenclinations of mans age by the similitude
of the Ape, Lion, Foxe, & the Asse_.]
[Another diuision of the nature of mans age.]
A comparison betwéene good husband[rie] and [bad _euill_].
A comparison betwéene [_woodland &_ Champion] countrie and Seuerall.
[The description of an enuious and naughtie neighbour.]
[_A Sonet howe to set a candle afore the Deuill_.]
A Sonet against a slaunderous tongue.
A Sonet [_to his Lord & Master of his first vij yeres seruice_ vpon
the Authors first seuen yeres seruice].
[The Authors _A_] dialogue betweene two Bachelers [_batchillers_],
of wiuing & thriuing, by affirmation & negation [_& the maryed mans
iudgment thereof_].
[The wedded mans iudgement taking vp the matter of wiuing and thriuing.
How ewes should be vsed that are néere lambing.
How lambes should be vsed when they are yoong.
What times are most méete for rearing of calues.
How to cure the wrigling of ye taile in a shéepe or a lambe.
Of gelding horsecolts.
A waie how to haue large bréede of hogs.
A medicine for faint cattle.
Howe to fasten loose téeth in a bullocke.
How to preuent the breeding of the bots in horses.
A medicine for the cowlaske.[E5]
Of burieng dead cattle.
A waie how to preserue bées.
What is to be done with measeled hogs.
What times are most méete for letting of horses blood.]
The Table of Huswiferie you shall finde at the ende of the booke.
FINIS.
* * * Tusser's references to pages are omitted.
1.
¶ _The Author's Epistle to the late Lord William Paget, wherein he doth
discourse of his owne bringing vp, and of the goodnes of the said
Lord his master vnto him, and the occasion of this his booke, thus
set forth of his owne long practise.
Chap._ 1.
_1[E6]
T Time trieth the troth,[E7] in euerie thing,
H Herewith let men content their minde,[1]
O Of works, which best may profit bring,
M Most rash to iudge, most often blinde.
A As therefore troth in time shall craue,
S So let this booke iust fauor haue.
2
T Take you my Lord and Master than,
U Vnlesse mischance mischanceth me,[E8]
S Such homelie gift, of me your man,
S Since more in Court I may not be,
A And let your praise, wonne heretofore,
R Remaine abrode for euermore.[E9]
3
M My seruing you, (thus vnderstand,)
A And God his helpe, and yours withall,[E10]
D Did cause good lucke to take mine hand,
E Erecting one most like to fall.
M My seruing you, I know it was,
E Enforced this to come to pas.
4
Since being once at Cambridge taught,
Of Court ten yeeres I made assaie,
No Musicke then was left vnsaught,
Such care I had to serue that waie.
When ioie gan slake, then made I change,
Expulsed[2] mirth, for Musicke strange.
5
My Musicke since hath bene the plough,
Entangled with some care among,
The gaine not great, the paine ynough,
Hath made me sing another song.
Which song, if well I may auow,
I craue it iudged be by yow._
Your seruant Thomas Tusser.
[1] How euery man doth please his mind. 1577.
[2] Expelled. 1585.
2.
¶ _To the Right Honorable and my speciall good Lord and Master, the
Lord Thomas Paget of Beaudesert, sone and heire to his late[1]
father deceased.
Chap._ 2.
1
My Lord, your father looued me,
and you my Lord haue prooued me,
and both your loues haue mooued me,
to write as here is donne:
Since God hath hence your father,
such flowers as I gather,
I dedicate now rather,
to you my Lord his sonne.
2
Your father was my founder,
till death became his wounder,
no subiect euer sounder,
whome Prince aduancement gaue:
As God did here defend him,
and honour here did send him,
so will I here commend him,
as long as life I haue.
3
His neighbours then did blisse him,
his seruants now doe misse him,
the poore would gladlie kisse him,
aliue againe to be:
But God hath wrought his pleasure,
and blest him, out of measure,
with heauen and earthlie treasure,
so good a God is he.
[Sidenote: _Ceres_ the Goddesse of husbandrie.]
4
His counsell had I vsed,
and _Ceres_ art refused,
I neede not thus haue mused,
nor droope as now I do:
But I must plaie the farmer,
and yet no whit the warmer,
although I had his armer,
and other comfort to.
[Sidenote: Æsops fable.]
5
The Foxe doth make me minde him,
whose glorie so did blinde him,
till taile cut off behinde him,
no fare could him content:
Euen so must I be proouing,
such glorie I had in loouing,
of things to plough behoouing,
that makes me now repent.
[Sidenote: Salust.]
6
Loiterers I kept so meanie,
both Philip, Hob, and Cheanie,
that, that waie nothing geanie,
was thought to make me thriue:
Like _Iugurth_, Prince of _Numid_,[E11]
my gold awaie consumid,
with losses so perfumid,[E12]
was neuer none aliue.
7
Great fines so neere did pare me,
great rent so much did skare me,
great charge so long did dare me,
that made me at length crie creake:[E13]
Much more[2] of all such fleeces,[E14]
as oft I lost by peeces,
among such wilie geeces
I list no longer speake.
8
Though countrie health long staid me,
yet lesse[3] expiring fraid me,
and (_ictus sapit_[E15]) praid me
to seeke more steadie staie:
New lessons then I noted,
and some of them I coted,[4]
least some should think I doted,
by bringing naught awaie.
[Sidenote: _Pallas_, Goddesse of wisdome and cunning.]
9
Though _Pallas_ hath denide me,
hir learned pen to guide me,
for that she dailie spide me,
with countrie how I stood:
Yet _Ceres_ so did bold me,
with hir good lessons told me,
that rudenes cannot hold me,
from dooing countrie good.
10
By practise and ill speeding,
these lessons had their breeding,
and not by hearesaie, or reeding,
as some abrode haue blowne:
Who will not thus beleeue me,
so much the more they greeue me,
because they grudge to geeue me,
that is of right mine owne.
11
At first for want of teaching,
at first for trifles breaching,
at first for ouer reaching,[5]
and lacke of taking hid,[6]
was cause that toile so tost me,
that practise so much cost me,
that rashnes so much lost me,
or hindred as it did.
12
Yet will I not despaier
thorough Gods good gift so faier
through friendship, gold, and praier,
in countrie againe to dwell:
Where rent so shall not paine me,
but paines shall helpe to gaine me,
and gaines shall helpe maintaine me,
New lessons mo to tell.
13
For citie seemes a wringer,
the penie for to finger,
from such as there doe linger,
or for their pleasure lie:
Though countrie be more painfull,
and not so greedie gainfull,
yet is it not so vainfull,
in following fansies eie.
14
I haue no labour wanted
to prune this tree thus planted,
whose fruite to none is scanted,
in house or yet in feeld:
Which fruite, the more ye taste of,
the more to eate, ye haste of,
the lesse this fruite ye waste of,[7]
such fruite this tree doth yeeld.
15
My[8] tree or booke thus framed,
with title alreadie named,
I trust goes forth vnblamed,
in your good Lordships name:
As my good Lord I take you,
and neuer will forsake you,
so now I craue to make you
defender of the same.
_Your seruant Thomas Tusser_.
[1] In the edition of 1575 the word Thomas, and the words following
Beaudesert, do not occur, and the whole Epistle precedes that to Lord
William Paget.
[2] mort. 1620.
[3] lease. 1585 and 1620.
[4] quoted. 1585 and 1620.
[5] reacing. 1599.
[6] hede. 1577.
[7]
Which fruite to say (who hast of)
though nere so much they taste of
yet can they make no waste of. 1577.
[8] this. 1573. 1577.
3.
¶ _To the Reader.
Chap._ 3.
1
I have been praid
to shew mine aid,
in taking paine,
not for the gaine,
but for good will,
to shew such skill
as shew I could:
That husbandrie
with huswiferie
as cock and hen,
to countrie men,
all strangenes gone,
might ioine in one,
as louers should.
2
I trust both this
performed is,
and how that here
it shall appere,
with iudgement right,
to thy delight,
is brought to passe:
That such as wiue,
and faine would thriue,
be plainly taught
how good from naught
may trim be tride,
and liuely spide,
as in a glasse.
3
What should I win,
by writing in
my losses past,
that ran as fast
as running streame,
from reame to reame
that flowes so swift?
For that I could
not get for gould,
to teach me how,
as this doth yow,
through daily gaine,
the waie so plaine
to come by thrift.
4
What is a grote
or twaine to note,
once in the life
for man or wife,
to saue a pound,
in house or ground,
ech other weeke?[E16]
What more for health,
what more for wealth,
what needeth lesse,
run Iack, helpe Besse,
to staie amis,
not hauing this,
far off to seeke?
5
I do not craue
mo thankes to haue,
than giuen to me
alreadie be,
but this is all
to such as shall
peruse this booke:
That for my sake,
they gently take,
where ere they finde
against their minde,
when he or she
shall minded be
therein to looke.
6
And grant me now,
thou reader thow,
of termes to vse,
such choise to chuse,
as may delight
the countrie wight,
and knowledge bring:
For such doe praise
the countrie phraise,
the countrie acts,
the countrie facts,
the countrie toies,
before the ioies
of anie thing.
7
Nor looke thou here
that euerie shere[E17]
of euerie verse
I thus reherse
may profit take
or vantage make
by lessons such:
For here we see
things seuerall bee,
and there no dike,
but champion like,
and sandie soile,
and claiey toile,
doe suffer[1] much.
8
This[2] being waid,
be not afraid
to buie to proue,
to reade with loue,
to followe some,
and so to come
by practise true:
My paine is past,
thou warning hast,
th' experience mine,
the vantage thine,
may giue thee choice
to crie or reioice:
and thus adue.
_Finis T. Tusser._
[1] differ. 1573; suffer. 1577.
[2] Thus. 1577.
4.
¶ _An Introduction to the Booke of Husbandrie.[1]
Chap._ 4.
1
Good husbandmen must moile & toile,
to laie to liue by laboured feeld:
Their wiues at home must keepe such coile,[E18]
as their like actes may profit yeeld.
For well they knowe,
as shaft from bowe,
or chalke from snowe,
A good round rent their Lords they giue,
and must keepe touch in all their paie:
With credit crackt else for to liue,
or trust to legs and run awaie.
[Sidenote: _Ceres_, Goddesse of husbandry.]
2
Though fence well kept is one good point,
and tilth well done, in season due;
Yet needing salue in time to annoint,
is all in all and needfull true:
As for the rest,
thus thinke I best,
as friend doth gest,
With hand in hand to leade thee foorth
to _Ceres_ campe, there to behold
A thousand things as richlie woorth,
as any pearle is woorthie gold.
[1] This Introduction is not in the editions of 1573 or 1577.
5.
¶ _A Preface to the buier of this booke.
Chap._ 5.
1
What lookest thou herein to haue?
Fine verses thy fansie to please?
Of many my betters that craue,
Looke nothing but rudenes in thease.[E19]
2
What other thing lookest thou then?
Graue sentences many to finde?
Such, Poets haue twentie and ten,
Yea thousands contenting the minde.
3
What looke ye, I praie you shew what?
Termes painted with Rhetorike fine?
Good husbandrie seeketh not that,
Nor ist any meaning of mine.
4
What lookest thou, speake at the last?
Good lessons for thee and thy wife?
Then keepe them in memorie fast,
To helpe as a comfort to life.
5
What looke ye for more in my booke?
Points needfull and meete to be knowne?
Then dailie be suer to looke,
To saue to be suer thine owne.
* * * Mason remarks that this metre was peculiar to Shenstone.[E20]
6.
_The commodities of Husbandrie.
Chap._ 6.
1
_Let house haue to fill her,
Let land haue to till her._
No dwellers, what profiteth house for to stand?
What goodnes, vnoccupied, bringeth the land?
2
_No labor no bread,
No host we be dead._
No husbandry vsed, how soone shall we sterue?
House keeping neglected, what comfort to serue?
3
_Ill father no gift,
No knowledge no thrift._
The father an vnthrift, what hope to the sonne?
The ruler vnskilfull, how quickly vndonne?
7.
_Chap._ 7.
_As true as thy faith
This riddle thus saith._
[Sidenote: The praise of husbandrie.]
I seeme but a drudge, yet I passe any King
To such as can vse me, great wealth I do bring.
Since Adam first liued, I neuer did die,
When Noe was shipman, there also was I.
The earth to susteine me, the sea for my fish:[E21]
Be readie to pleasure me, as I would wish.[1]
What hath any life, but I helpe to preserue,
What wight without me, but is ready to sterue.
In woodland, in Champion, Citie, or towne
If long I be absent, what falleth not downe?
If long I be present, what goodnes can want?
Though things at my comming were neuer so scant.
So many as looue me, and vse me aright,
With treasure and pleasure, I richly acquite.
Great kings I doe succour, else wrong it would go,
The King of al kings hath appointed it so.
[1]
The earth is my storehouse, the sea my fishpond,
What good is in either, by me it is found. 1577.
8.
¶ _The description of Husbandrie.
Chap._ 8.
1
Of husband, doth husbandrie challenge that name,
of husbandrie, husband doth likewise the same
Where huswife and huswiferie, ioineth with thease,
there wealth in abundance is gotten with ease.
2
The name of a husband, what is it to saie?
of wife and the houshold the band and the staie:
Some husbandlie thriueth that neuer had wife,
yet scarce a good husband in goodnes of life.
3
The husband is he that to labour doth fall,
the labour of him I doe husbandrie call:
If thrift by that labour be any way caught,
then is it good husbandrie, else it is naught.
4
So houshold and housholdrie I doe define,
for folke and the goodes that in house be of thine
House keeping to them, as a refuge is set,
which like as it is, so report it doth get.
5
Be house or the furniture neuer so rude,
of husband and husbandrie, (thus I conclude:)
That huswife and huswiferie, if it be good,
must pleasure togither as cosins in blood.
9.
¶ _The Ladder to thrift.
Chap._ 9.
1
To take thy calling thankfully,[E22]
and shun[1] the path to beggery.
2
To grudge in youth no drudgery,
to come by knowledge perfectly.
3
To count no trauell slauerie,
that brings in penie sauerlie.
4
To folow profit earnestlie
but meddle not with pilferie.
5
To get by honest practisie,
and kéepe thy gettings couertlie.
6
To lash not out too lashinglie,
for feare of pinching penurie.
7
To get good plot to occupie,
and store and vse it husbandlie.
8
To shew to landlord curtesie,
and kéepe thy couenants orderlie.
9
To hold that thine is lawfullie,
for stoutnes or for flatterie.
10
To wed good wife for companie,
and liue in wedlock honestlie.
11
To furnish house with housholdry,
and make prouision skilfully.
12
To ioine to wife good familie,[E23]
and none to kéepe for brauerie.
13
To suffer none liue idlelie,
for feare of idle knauerie.
14
To courage wife in huswiferie,
and vse well dooers gentilie.
15
To keepe no more but néedfullie,
and count excesse vnsauerie.
16
To raise betimes the lubberlie,
both snorting Hob and Margerie.[2]
17
To walke thy pastures vsuallie,
to spie ill neighbours subtiltie.
18
To hate reuengement hastilie,
for loosing loue and amitie.
19
To loue thy neighbor neighborly,
and shew him no discurtesy.
20
To answere stranger ciuilie,
but shew him not thy secresie.
21
To vse no friend deceitfully,
to offer no man villeny.
22
To learne how foe to pacifie,
but trust him not too trustilie.
23
To kéepe thy touch substanciallie,
and in thy word vse constancie.
24
To make thy bandes aduisedly,
& com not bound through suerty.
25
To meddle not with vsurie,
nor lend thy monie foolishlie.
26
To hate to liue in infamie,
through craft, and liuing shiftingly.[3]
27
To shun all kinde of treachery,
for treason endeth horribly.
28
To learne to eschew ill cōpany,
and such as liue dishonestly.
29
To banish house of blasphemie,
least crosses crosse vnluckelie.[E24]
30
To stop mischance, through policy,
for chancing too vnhappily.
31
To beare thy crosses patiently,
for worldly things are slippery.
32
To laie to kéepe from miserie,
age comming on so créepinglie.
33
To praie to God continuallie,
for aide against thine enimie.
34
To spend thy Sabboth holilie,
and helpe the needie pouertie.[4]
35
To liue in conscience quietly,
and kéepe thy selfe from malady.
36
To ease thy sicknes spéedilie,
er helpe be past recouerie.
37
To séeke to God for remedie,
for witches prooue vnluckilie.
[38]
These be the steps vnfainedlie:
to climbe to thrift by husbandrie.
[39]
_These steps both reach, and teach thee shall:
To come by thrift, to shift withall._
* * * Stanzas 25, 27, 28, 32, 37 are not in the edition of 1577. After
31 the edition of 1577 has:--
29
To train thy child vp vertuously
that vertue vice may qualifie.
30
To bridle wild otes fantasie,[E25]
to spend thee naught vnthriftely.
[1] shonne. 1577.
[2] To rise betimes up readely. 1577.
[3] naughtily. 1573, 1557.
[4] poore in misery. 1577.
10.
¶ _Good husbandlie lessons worthie to be followed of such as will
thriue.
Chap._ 10.
1
God sendeth and giueth both mouth and the meat,
and blesseth vs al with his benefits great:
Then serue we that God that so richly doth giue,
shew loue to our neighbors, and lay for to liue.
2[1]
As bud by appearing betokneth the spring,
and leafe by her falling the contrarie thing:
So youth bids vs labour, to get as we can,
for age is a burden to laboring man.
3
A competent liuing, and honestly had,
makes such as are godlie both thankfull and glad:
Life neuer contented, with honest estate,
lamented is oft, and repented too late.
4
Count neuer wel gotten that naughtly is got,
nor well to account of which honest is not:[E26]
Looke long not to prosper, that wayest not this,
least prospering faileth, and all go amisse.
[Sidenote: Laie wisely to marrie.]
5
True wedlock is best, for auoiding of sinne,
the bed vndefiled much honour doth winne:
Though loue be in choosing farre better than gold,
let loue come with somewhat, the better to hold.[E27]
[Sidenote: Concord bringeth foyson.]
6
Where cooples agree not is ranker and strife,
where such be together is seldome good life:
Where cooples in wedlock doe louelie agree,
there foyson remaineth, if wisedome there bee.
[Sidenote: Wife and children craue a dwelling.]
7
Who looketh to marrie must laie to keepe house,
for loue may not alway be plaieing with douse:
If children encrease, and no staie of thine owne,
what afterwards followes is soone to be knowne.
[Sidenote: Thee for thriue.]
[Sidenote: Hostisses grudge: nurses craue.]
8
Once charged with children, or likelie to bee,
giue ouer to sudgerne, that thinkest to thee:[E28]
Least grutching of hostis, and crauing of nurse,
be costlie and noisome to thee and thy purse.
[Sidenote: Live within thy Tedder.]
9
Good husbands that loueth good houses to keepe
are oftentimes careful when other doe sleepe:
To spend as they may, or to stop at the furst,
for running in danger, or feare of the wurst.
[Sidenote: By haruest is ment al thy stock.]
10
Go count with thy cofers,[2] when haruest is in,
which waie for thy profite, to saue or to win:
Of tone of them both, if a sauer wee smel,[E29]
house keeping is godlie where euer we dwel.
[Sidenote: Be thine own purs bearer.]
11
Sonne, think not thy monie purse bottom to burn,
but keepe it for profite, to serue thine owne turn:
A foole and his monie be soone at debate,
which after with sorrow repents him too late.[E30]
12
Good bargaine a dooing, make priuie but few,
in selling, refraine not abrode it to shew:
In making make haste, and awaie to thy pouch,
in selling no haste, if ye dare it auouch.[E31]
[Sidenote: Euill landlord.]
13
Good Landlord who findeth, is blessed of God,
A cumbersome Landlord is husbandmans rod:
He noieth, destroieth, and al to this drift,
to strip his poore tenant of ferme and of thrift.
[Sidenote: Rent corne.]