rot (as are our swine with the measels though neuer so generallie) and
manie men are now and then great losers by the same: but after the
calamitie is ouer, if they can recouer and kéepe their new stocks
sound for seauen yeares togither, the former losse will easilie be
recompensed with double commoditie. Cardan writeth that our waters are
hurtfull to our shéepe, howbeit this is but his coniecture: for we
know that our shéepe are infected by going to the water, and take the
same as a sure and certeine token that a rot hath gotten hold of them,
their liuers and lights being alredie distempered through excessiue
heat, which inforceth them the rather to séeke vnto the water. Certes
there is no parcell of the maine, wherin a man shall generallie find
more fine and wholesome water than in England; and therefore it is
impossible that our shéepe should decaie by tasting of the same.
Wherfore the hinderance by rot is rather to be ascribed to the
vnseasonablenes & moisture of the weather in summer, also their
licking in of mildewes, gossamire, rowtie fogs, & ranke grasse, full
of superfluous iuice: but speciallie (I saie) to ouer moist wether,
whereby the continuall raine pearsing into their hollow felles, soketh
foorthwith into their flesh, which bringeth them to their baines.
Being also infected their first shew of sickenesse is their desire to
drinke, so that our waters are not vnto them "Causa ægritudinis," but
"Signum morbi," what so euer Cardan doo mainteine to the contrarie.
There are (& peraduenture no small babes) which are growne to be so
good husbands, that they can make account of euerie ten kine to be
cléerelie woorth twentie pounds in c[=o]mon and indifferent yeares, if
the milke of fiue shéepe be dailie added to the same. But as I wote
not how true this surmise is, bicause it is no part of my trade, so I
am sure hereof, that some housewiues can and doo ad dailie a lesse
proportion of ewes milke vnto the chéese of so manie kine, whereby
their cheese dooth the longer abide moist, and eateth more brickle and
mellow than otherwise it would.
[Sidenote: Goats.]
Goats we haue plentie, and of sundrie colours in the west parts of
England; especiallie in and towards Wales, and amongst the rockie
hilles, by whome the owners doo reape no small aduantage: some also
are cherished elsewhere in diuerse stéeds for the benefit of such as
are diseased with sundrie maladies, vnto whom (as I heare) their
milke, chéese, and bodies of their yoong kids are iudged verie
profitable, and therefore inquired for of manie farre and néere.
Certes I find among the writers, that the milke of a goat is next in
estimation to that of the woman; for that it helpeth the stomach,
remooueth oppilations and stoppings of the liuer, and looseth the
bellie. Some place also next vnto it the milke of the ew: and thirdlie
that of the cow. But hereof I can shew no reason; onelie this I know,
that ewes milke is fulsome, sweet, and such in tast, as except such as
are vsed vnto it no man will gladlie yéeld to liue and féed withall.
[Sidenote: Swine.]
As for swine, there is no place that hath greater store, nor more
wholesome in eating, than are these here in England, which
neuerthelesse doo neuer anie good till they come to the table. Of
these some we eat greene for porke, and other dried vp into bakon to
haue it of more continuance. Lard we make some though verie little,
because it is chargeable: neither haue we such vse thereof as is to be
séene in France and other countries, sith we doo either bake our meat
with swéet suet of beefe or mutton, and bast all our meat with sweet
or salt butter, or suffer the fattest to bast it selfe by leisure. In
champaine countries they are kept by herds, and an hogherd appointed
to attend and wait vpon them, who commonlie gathereth them togither by
his noise and crie, and leadeth them foorth to féed abroad in the
fields. In some places also women doo scowre and wet their cloths with
their doong, as other doo with hemlocks and netles: but such is the
sauor of the cloths touched withall, that I cannot abide to weare them
on my bodie, more than such as are scowred with the reffuse sope, than
the which (in mine opinion) there is none more vnkindlie sauor.
[Sidenote: Bores.]
Of our tame bores we make brawne, which is a kind of meat not vsuallie
knowne to strangers (as I take it) otherwise would not the swart
Rutters and French cookes, at the losse of Calis (where they found
great store of this prouision almost in euerie house) haue attempted
with ridiculous successe to rost, bake, broile, & frie the same for
their masters, till they were better informed. I haue heard moreouer,
how a noble man of England, not long since, did send ouer an hogshead
of brawne readie sowsed to a catholike gentleman of France, who
supposing it to be fish, reserued it till Lent, at which time he did
eat thereof with verie great frugalitie. Thereto he so well liked of
the prouision it selfe, that he wrote ouer verie earnestlie & with
offer of great recompense for more of the same fish against the yeare
insuing: whereas if he had knowne it to haue beene flesh, he would not
haue touched it (I dare saie) for a thousand crownes without the popes
dispensation. A fréend of mine also dwelling sometime in Spaine,
hauing certeine Iewes at his table, did set brawne before them,
whereof they did eat verie earnestlie, supposing it to be a kind of
fish not common in those parties: but when the goodman of the house
brought in the head in pastime among them, to shew what they had
eaten, they rose from the table, hied them home in hast, ech of them
procuring himselfe to vomit, some by oile, and some by other meanes,
till (as they supposed) they had clensed their stomachs of that
prohibited food. With vs it is accounted a great péece of seruice at
the table, from Nouember vntill Februarie be ended; but chéeflie in
the Christmasse time. With the same also we begin our dinners ech daie
after other: and because it is somewhat hard of digestion, a draught
of malueseie, bastard, or muscadell, is vsuallie droonke after it,
where either of them are conuenientlie to be had: otherwise the meaner
sort content themselues with their owne drinke, which at that season
is generallie verie strong, and stronger indéed than in all the yeare
[Sidenote: Brawne of the bore.]
beside. It is made commonlie of the fore part of a tame bore, set vp
for the purpose by the space of a whole yere or two, especiallie in
gentlemens houses (for the husbandmen and farmers neuer franke them
for their owne vse aboue thrée or foure moneths, or halfe a yéere at
the most) in which time he is dieted with otes and peason, and lodged
on the bare planks of an vneasie coat, till his fat be hardened
sufficientlie for their purpose: afterward he is killed, scalded, and
cut out, and then of his former parts is our brawne made, the rest is
nothing so fat, and therefore it beareth the name of sowse onelie, and
is commonlie reserued for the seruing man and hind, except it please
[Sidenote: Baked hog.]
the owner to haue anie part therof baked, which are then handled of
custome after this manner. The hinder parts being cut off, they are
first drawne with lard, and then sodden; being sodden they are sowsed
in claret wine and vineger a certeine space, and afterward baked in
pasties, and eaten of manie in stéed of the wild bore, and trulie it
is verie good meat: the pestles may be hanged vp a while to drie
before they be drawne with lard if you will, and thereby prooue the
better. But hereof inough, and therefore to come againe vnto our
brawne. The necke peeces being cut off round, are called collars of
brawne, the shoulders are named shilds, onelie the ribs reteine the
former denomination, so that these aforesaid péeces deserue the name
of brawne: the bowels of the beast are commonlie cast awaie because of
their ranknesse, and so were likewise his stones; till a foolish
fantasie got hold of late amongst some delicate dames, who haue now
found the meanes to dresse them also with great cost for a deintie
dish, and bring them to the boord as a seruice among other of like
sort, though not without note of their desire to the prouocation of
fleshlie lust, which by this their fond curiositie is not a little
reuealed. When the bore is thus cut out, ech peece is wrapped vp,
either with bulrushes, ozier péeles, tape, inkle, or such like, and
then sodden in a lead or caldron togither, till they be so tender that
a man may thrust a brused rush or soft straw cleane through the fat:
which being doone, they take it vp, and laie it abroad to coole:
afterward putting it into close vessels, they powre either good small
ale or béere mingled with veriuice and salt thereto till it be
couered, and so let it lie (now and then altering and changing the
sowsing drinke least it should wax sowre) till occasion serue to spend
it out of the waie. Some vse to make brawne of great barrow hogs, and
séeth them, and sowse the whole, as they doo that of the bore; and in
my iudgement it is the better of both, and more easie of digestion.
But of brawne thus much; and so much may seeme sufficient.
OF WILD AND TAME FOULES.
CHAP. II.
Order requireth that I speake somewhat of the foules also of England,
which I may easilie diuide into the wild & tame: but alas such is my
small skill in foules, that to say the truth, I can neither recite
their numbers, nor well distinguish one kind of them from another. Yet
this I haue by generall knowledge, that there is no nation vnder the
sunne, which hath alreadie in the time of the yere more plentie of
wild foule than we, for so manie kinds as our Iland dooth bring
foorth, and much more would haue, if those of the higher soile might
be spared but one yeare or two, from the greedie engins of couetous
foulers, which set onlie for the pot & purse. Certes this enormitie
bred great trouble in K. Iohns daies, insomuch that going in progresse
about the tenth of his reigne, he found little or no game wherewith to
solace himself, or exercise his falcons. Wherfore being at Bristow in
the Christmas insuing, he restreined all maner of hawking or taking of
wild-foule throughout England for a season, whereby the land within
few yeares was throughlie replenished againe. But what stand I vpon
this impertinent discourse? Of such therefore as are bred in our land,
we haue the crane, the bitter, the wild & tame swan, the bustard, the
herron, curlew, snite, wildgoose, wind or doterell, brant, larke,
plouer of both sorts, lapwing, teele, wigeon, mallard, sheldrake,
shoueler, pewet, seamew, barnacle, quaile (who onelie with man are
subiect to the falling sickenesse) the notte, the oliet or olife, the
dunbird, woodcocke, partrich and feasant, besides diuerse other, whose
names to me are vtterlie vnknowne, and much more the taste of their
flesh, wherewith I was neuer acquainted. But as these serue not at all
seasons, so in their seuerall turnes there is no plentie of them
wanting, whereby the tables of the nobilitie and gentrie should séeme
at anie time furnisht. But of all these the production of none is more
maruellous in my mind, than that of the barnacle, whose place of
generation we haue sought oft times so farre as the Orchades, whereas
peraduenture we might haue found the same neerer home, and not onelie
vpon the coasts of Ireland, but euen in our owne riuers. If I should
say how either these or some such other foule not much vnlike vnto
them haue bred of late times (for their place of generation is not
perpetuall, but as opportunitie serueth, and the circumstances doo
minister occasion) in the Thames mouth, I doo not thinke that manie
will beleeue me: yet such a thing hath there béene scene, where a kind
of foule had his beginning vpon a short tender shrub standing néere
vnto the shore, from whence when their time came, they fell downe,
either into the salt water and liued, or vpon the drie land and
perished, as Pena the French herbarian hath also noted in the verie
end of his herball. What I for mine owne part haue séene here by
experience, I haue alreadie so touched in the chapter of Ilands, that
it should be but time spent in vaine to repeat it here againe. Looke
therefore in the description of Man or Manaw for more of these
barnacles, as also in the eleuenth chapter of the description of
Scotland, & I doo not doubt but you shall in some respect be satisfied
in the generation of these foules. As for egrets, pawpers, and such
like, they are dailie brought vnto vs from beyond the sea, as if all
the foule of our countrie could not suffice to satisfie our delicate
appetites.
Our tame foule are such (for the most part) as are common both to vs
and to other countries, as cocks, hens, géese, duckes, peacocks of
Inde, pigeons, now an hurtfull foule by reason of their multitudes,
and number of houses dailie erected for their increase (which the
bowres of the countrie call in scorne almes houses, and dens of
theeues, and such like) wherof there is great plentie in euerie
farmers yard. They are kept there also to be sold either for readie
monie in the open markets, or else to be spent at home in good
companie amongst their neighbors without reprehension or fines.
Neither are we so miserable in England (a thing onelie granted vnto vs
by the especiall grace of God, and libertie of our princes) as to dine
or sup with a quarter of a hen, or to make so great a repast with a
cocks combe, as they doo in some other countries: but if occasion
serue, the whole carcasses of manie capons, hens, pigeons, and such
like doo oft go to wracke, beside béefe, mutton, veale, and lambe: all
which at euerie feast are taken for necessarie dishes amongest the
communaltie of England.
The gelding of cocks, whereby capons are made, is an ancient practise
brought in of old time by the Romans when they dwelt here in this
land: but the gelding of turkies or Indish peacocks is a newer deuise:
and certeinlie not vsed amisse, sith the rankenesse of that bird is
verie much abated thereby, and the strong taste of the flesh in
sundrie wise amended. If I should say that ganders grow also to be
gelded, I suppose that some will laugh me to scorne, neither haue I
tasted at anie time of such a foule so serued, yet haue I heard it
more than once to be vsed in the countrie, where their géese are
driuen to the field like heards of cattell by a gooseheard, a toie
also no lesse to be maruelled at than the other. For as it is rare to
heare of a gelded gander, so is it strange to me to sée or heare of
géese to be led to the field like shéepe: yet so it is, & their
gooseheard carieth a rattle of paper or parchment with him, when he
goeth about in the morning to gather his goslings togither, the noise
whereof commeth no sooner to their eares, than they fall to gagling,
and hasten to go with him. If it happen that the gates be not yet
open, or that none of the house be stirring, it is ridiculous to sée
how they will peepe vnder the doores, and neuer leaue creaking and
gagling till they be let out vnto him to ouertake their fellowes. With
vs where I dwell they are not kept in this sort, nor in manie other
places, neither are they kept so much for their bodies as their
feathers. Some hold furthermore an opinion, that in ouer ranke soiles
their doong dooth so qualifie the batablenesse of the soile, that
their cattell is thereby kept from the garget, and sundrie other
diseases, although some of them come to their ends now and then, by
licking vp of their feathers. I might here make mention of other
foules producted by the industrie of man, as betwéene the fesant cocke
and doonghill hen, or betwéene the fesant and the ringdooue, the
peacocke and the turkie hen, the partrich and the pigeon: but sith I
haue no more knowledge of these, than what I haue gotten by mine eare,
I will not meddle with them. Yet Cardan speaking of the second sort,
dooth affirme it to be a foule of excellent beautie. I would likewise
intreat of other foules which we repute vncleane, as rauens, crowes,
pies, choughes, rookes, kites, iaies, ringtailes, starlings,
woodspikes, woodnawes, rauens, &c: but sith they abound in all
countries, though peraduenture most of all in England (by reason of
our negligence) I shall not néed to spend anie time in the rehearsall
of them. Neither are our crowes and choughs cherished of purpose to
catch vp the woormes that bréed in our soiles (as Polydor supposeth)
sith there are no vplandish townes but haue (or should haue) nets of
their owne in store to catch them withall. Sundrie acts of parlement
are likewise made for their vtter destruction, as also the spoile of
other rauenous fouls hurtfull to pultrie, conies, lambs, and kids,
whose valuation of reward to him that killeth them is after the head:
a deuise brought from the Goths, who had the like ordinance for the
destruction of their white crowes, and tale made by the becke, which
killed both lambs and pigs. The like order is taken with vs for our
vermines, as with them also for the rootage out of their wild beasts,
sauing that they spared their greatest beares, especiallie the white,
whose skins are by custome & priuilege reserued to couer those
planchers wherevpon their priests doo stand at Masse, least he should
take some vnkind cold in such a long péece of worke: and happie is the
man that may prouide them for him, for he shall haue pardon inough for
that so religious an act, to last if he will till doomes day doo
approch; and manie thousands after. Nothing therefore can be more
vnlikelie to be true, than that these noisome creatures are nourished
amongst vs to deuoure our wormes, which doo not abound much more in
England than elsewhere in other countries of the maine. It may be that
some looke for a discourse also of our other foules in this place at
my hand, as nightingales, thrushes, blackebirds, mauises, ruddocks,
redstarts or dunocks, larkes, tiuits, kingsfishers, buntings, turtles
white or graie, linets, bulfinshes, goldfinshes, washtailes,
cheriecrackers, yellowhamers, felfares, &c: but I should then spend
more time vpon them than is conuenient. Neither will I speake of our
costlie and curious auiaries dailie made for the better hearing of
their melodie, and obseruation of their natures: but I cease also to
go anie further in these things, hauing (as I thinke) said inough
alreadie of these that I haue named.
OF FISH VSUALLIE TAKEN VPON OUR COASTS.
CHAP. III.
I haue in my description of waters, as occasion hath serued, intreated
of the names of some of the seuerall fishes which are commonlie to bée
found in our riuers. Neuerthelesse as euerie water hath a sundrie
mixture, and therefore is not stored with euerie kind: so there is
almost no house, euen of the meanest bowres, which haue not one or mo
ponds or holes made for reseruation of water vnstored with some of
them, as with tench, carpe, breame, roch, dace, eeles, or such like as
will liue and bréed togither. Certes it is not possible for me to
deliuer the names of all such kinds of fishes as our riuers are found
to beare: yet least I should séeme iniurious to the reader, in not
deliuering so manie of them as haue béene brought to my knowledge, I
will not let to set them downe as they doo come to mind. Besides the
salmons therefore, which are not to be taken from the middest of
September to the middest of Nouember, and are verie plentifull in our
greatest riuers, as their yoong store are not to be touched from mid
Aprill vnto Midsummer, we haue the trout, barbell, graile, powt,
cheuin, pike, goodgeon, smelt, perch, menan, shrimpes, creuises,
lampreies, and such like, whose preseruation is prouided for by verie
sharpe lawes, not onelie in our riuers, but also in plashes or lakes
and ponds, which otherwise would bring small profit to the owners, and
doo much harme by continuall maintenance of idle persons, who would
spend their whole times vpon their bankes, not coueting to labour with
their hands, nor follow anie good trade. Of all these there are none
more preiudiciall to their neighbours that dwell in the same water,
than the pike and éele, which commonlie deuoure such fish or frie and
spawne as they may get and come by. Neuerthelesse the pike is fréend
vnto the tench, as to his leach & surgeon. For when the fishmonger
hath opened his side and laid out his riuet and fat vnto the buier,
for the better vtterance of his ware, and can not make him away at
that present, he laieth the same againe into the proper place, and
sowing vp the wound, he restoreth him to the pond where tenches are,
who neuer cease to sucke and licke his greeued place, till they haue
restored him to health, and made him readie to come againe to the
stall, when his turne shall come about. I might here make report how
the pike, carpe, and some other of our riuer fishes are sold by inches
of cleane fish, from the eies or gilles to the crotch of the tailes,
but it is needlesse: also how the pike as he ageth receiueth diuerse
names, as from a frie to a gilthed, from a gilthed to a pod, from a
pod to a iacke, from a iacke to a pickerell, from a pickerell to a
pike, and last of all to a luce; also that a salmon is the first yeare
a grauellin, and commonlie so big as an herring, the second a salmon
peale, the third a pug, and the fourth a salmon: but this is in like
sort vnnecessarie.
I might finallie tell you, how that in fennie riuers sides if you cut
a turffe, and laie it with the grasse downewards, vpon the earth, in
such sort as the water may touch it as it passeth by, you shall haue a
brood of éeles, it would seeme a wonder; and yet it is beleeued with
no lesse assurance of some, than that an horse haire laid in a pale
full of the like water will in short time stirre and become a liuing
creature. But sith the certeintie of these things is rather prooued by
few than the certeintie of them knowne vnto manie, I let it passe at
this time. Neuerthelesse this is generallie obserued in the
maintenance of frie so well in riuers as in ponds, that in the time of
spawne we vse to throw in faggots made of willow and sallow, and now
and then of bushes for want of the other, whereby such spawne as
falleth into the same is preserued and kept from the pike, perch, éele
and other fish, of which the carpe also will féed vpon his owne, and
thereby hinder the store and increase of proper kind. Some vse in
euerie fift or seauenth yeere to laie their great ponds drie for all
the summer time, to the end they may gather grasse, and a thin swart
for the fish to feed vpon; and afterwards store them with bréeders,
after the water be let of new againe into them: finallie, when they
haue spawned, they draw out the bréeders, leauing not aboue foure or
six behind, euen in the greatest ponds, by meanes whereof the rest doo
prosper the better: and this obseruation is most vsed in carpe and
breame; as for perch (a delicate fish) it prospereth euerie where, I
meane so well in ponds as riuers, and also in motes and pittes, as I
doo know by experience, though their bottoms be but claie. More would
I write of our fresh fish, if anie more were needfull; wherefore I
will now turne ouer vnto such of the salt water as are taken vpon our
coasts. As our foules therefore haue their seasons, so likewise haue
all our sorts of sea fish: whereby it commeth to passe that none, or
at the leastwise verie few of them are to be had at all times.
Neuerthelesse, the seas that inuiron our coasts, are of all other most
plentifull: for as by reason of their depth they are a great succour,
so our low shores minister great plentie of food vnto the fish that
come thereto, no place being void or barren, either through want of
food for them, or the falles of filthie riuers, which naturallie
annoie them. In December therefore and Ianuarie we commonlie abound in
herring and red fish, as rochet, and gurnard. In Februarie and March
we féed on plaice, trowts, turbut, muskles, &c. In April and Maie,
with makrell, and cockles. In Iune and Iulie, with conger. In August
and September, with haddocke and herring: and the two moneths insuing
with the same, as also thornbacke and reigh of all sorts; all which
are the most vsuall, and wherewith our common sort are best of all
refreshed.
For mine owne part I am greatlie acquainted neither with the seasons,
nor yet with the fish it selfe: and therefore if I should take vpon me
to describe or speake of either of them absolutelie, I should
enterprise more than I am able to performe, and go in hand with a
greater matter than I can well bring about. It shall suffice therefore
to declare what sorts of fishes I haue most often séene, to the end I
may not altogither passe ouer this chapter without the rehersall of
something, although the whole summe of that which I haue to saie be
nothing indeed, if the performance of a full discourse hereof be anie
thing hardlie required.