good Ischomacus if husbandry be so easy to lerne and euery man knoweth what is to be done as well one as an other that they haue not a lyuinge by hit al a lyke For some haue great plentye and lyue welthily and other som haue scātly so moche as they nede and be in dette to other men Isch Mary I wyl tel you good Socrates hit is nother the knowelege nor lacke of knowelege of husbande men that maketh some of them riche and som powre For ye shal not lightly here suche a tale go about that suche a mans house is vndone bicause he hath not sowed euen or bycause that he hath nat well sette and planted his trees or bicause he knewe not what groūd was good for vynes he hath sette his in a naughty grounde or bicause he knewe not that it was good to falowe the grounde before he did sowe it or bicause he knew not that it was good to dounge hit But this ye may here often tymes very wel This man getteth no croppe on his grounde this yere For he hath made no prouisyon to gette hit sowed or to gette it dounged And agayne This man getteth no wyne For he nother careth to plante any vynes in his grounde nor seeth nothynge to those that be alredy planted to make them brynge forthe some frute This man hath no oyle This man hath no fyggis For he wyll take no peyne nor applie his mynde to haue any These be the causes good Socrates that make one husbāde man to differre from an other and to be also vnlyke in substance and in riches a great dele more thā if any of them semed to be experter in his workes and businessis And of the capitaynes of warre lyke wise there be many the whiche haue egally good wytte and very good sight in suche thynges as do longe to warre and yet there be some of them better and some worse and that is throughe the diuersite of takynge hede and of diligence For suche thynges as all capitaynes do knowe and also the most part of them that were neuer in that dignite some capitaynes do them and some not As thus All they knowe that it is better for them that shal leade an army through their ennemies lande to marche forwarde in good order and array that they may be alway redy to fight if nede be And yet som of them that knowe this very well do hit and some do not Also all they knowe that it is beste to kepe watches and scoutwaches bothe by nyght and by day And yet some of them se well to that it be surely kept and some do not Agayne whan they leade theyr army through narowe places ye shall all moste fynde none but that he knoweth it is better to preuente theyr enemies be tymes than to late And yet some of them do theyr dilygēce that they may so do and some do not And lyke wyse of doungynge Euery man sayth it is very good and necessary for the grounde to dounge hit And they se howe men may haue it bothe of bestis in his owne kynd and also fynde other meanes to haue it and make easily a very great deale therof And yet some take hede that hit be getered and some let it passe and care not for hit Yet god sendeth rayne from aboue and al maner of holowe grounde receyueth hit and kepeth it and waxeth a pouddell with it The groūde bryngeth forth al maner of wydes and naughty harlotry And he that wyll sowe muste fyrst rydde and purge the grounde and suche wydes and thynges as he gethereth out of the lande if he cast them into the water in proces of tyme it woll be as good and as holsome to the grounde as any donginge for what wydes be there or what groūd is it that wyl not becom doūge in very dede if it be cast in to stādynge water More ouer what remedy is there if the grounde be to wete to sowe in hit or to soore to set trees in it Euery mā knoweth that the water muste be voyded out by makynge of dytches and sloughes pourposely therfore and how the soorenes is minished and mitigated if all maner of thynges the whiche be not soore whether they be drye or were be myngled ther with And some husbandes take good hede to this and some regarde it not But if a man knowe neuer a whitte what the grounde wyl bringe forth nor can se nother frute nor tree in it nor speke with no man that shall tell hym the trouthe of hit is it not farre a great deale easier to haue a profe of hit than eyther of a horse or a man For that that it sheweth it is not shewed falsely and colorably but tilled it sheweth the very trouthe without any faynynge what it can brynge forth and what not And forsothe me thynketh that the grounde doth best examyne which be good and whiche be vnthryfty husbandes in that that it setteth forth al maner of thynge so easy to be lerned and so soone to be knowen For it is not in husbandry as it is in other craftes that they the whiche do not worke may excuse them selfes and sey that they can not skyyl to do it but euery man knoweth that if the grounde be wel tylled and husbandly handled it sheweh vs pleasure agayne for it And surely husbandry is it that best proueth a mans vnlusty corage and sluggisshe disposition For there is no man can parswade hym selfe that a a man can lyue without suche thynges as be necessary But he that hath no science wherby he may gette his lyuynge nor wyl not fall to husbandry it is clere he is eyther a starte foole orels he purposeth to gette his lyuynge by robbinge and stelyng orels by begginge More ouer sayde he it made greatly to the matter concernynge the gettynge or losynge by husbandry that whan they haue many laborers and seruātes that the tone taketh good hede that his worke men be sette to theyr worke in due season and tyme and the tother doth not For that man is better than ten other that falleth to his worke in season And that mā is farre worse than an other the whiche suffreth his worke men to leaue theyr worke and go theyr way ouer tymely And as for betwene hym that suffreth his worke men and laborers to trifyll away the day and hym that wyll not there is as greate difeference as betwene the holle worke finisshed and the halfe of hit Lyke wyse as in iorneyinge by the way in fyfty myle space two men whiche go bothe one waye and though they be bothe as swyfte as holle as yonge and as lusty the tone as the tother yet the tone shall ouer go the tother xxv myle in a day if the tone goth on his iourney lustily and the tother for slouthe cherisshinge of hym selfe resteth by the way besydes springes and fountaynes and seketh for shadowes and softe wyndes to refresshe hym with Lyke wyse in workynge
yet they can scant get their meate their drinke And what shulde be the cause of this gentyl So I wyll bringe you vnto them sayde So. and whā ye se them than shal ye lerne Mary that wyll I if that I can Ye but first ye muste proue your selfe if ye shall be able to knowe it whan ye se them It cometh in to my mynde nowe that ye wolde rise very yerly and go a great waye to se enterludes played that ye wolde intreate me nedes to go with you but ye neuer had me to suche a sighte Than ye thinke myne owne Socrates that I am worthye to be laughed to scorne of you Ye but of your selfe moche more But what if I do shewe you some men the whiche by the reason of kepyng of horses haue bene brought to exstreme pouerte and other the whiche by the reason of hit haue made them selfes ryche men and haue gotten so great substāce that they liue lyke lordes I haue sene them and I knowe them bothe but I haue neuer the more vantage for that The cause of it is that ye beholde them lyke wyse as ye loke vpon the plaiers of enterludes not to thintēt that ye may be a poete but for a pastime a recreation And parauēture ye do well in that for ye be not mynded to be a poete but where ye be cōpelled to kepe and fynde horses wyll ye not iuge your selfe a foole if ye go not aboute to studie a remedie that ye be not ignoraunte in that behalfe seinge that the selfe same thynges be good to the vse and profitable to be solde Your mynde is that I shulde breke horses No by my faith it no more than if ye wolde haue a good laborer I wolde gyue you coūsell to bringe hym vp of a childe But there be ages bothe of horses and of men the whiche be immediately profitable and do daily so growe that they do more good one daye than an other Furthermore I can shewe you some men the which haue so vsed and ordred their wyues that they comforte them and helpe them towarde the incresing of their house and some that haue suche wyues the which destroy vtterly the house and so the moste parte of men haue But who is to be blamed for this the husbande or the wyfe good Socrates A shepe if hit do not well for the moste parte we do blame the sheperde And a horse moste comonly if he be skyttisshe and do some displesure we blame the breker And a wyfe lyke wyse if her husbande teache hir well if she do not folowe it she is parauenture to blame But if he do not teache her if she be rude vnwomanly and witles is not he to be blamed Yes by my faith sayde Cri. And seinge that we be frendes may speke plainly betwene our selfes Is there euer any other wyse man that ye truste charge so moche in your busynes as ye do your wyfe No forsoth sayd he And is there any that ye commune lesse with than ye do with her No by my faith and if there be any they be very fewe Ye maried her verye yonge whan she had nother sene nor harde moche of the worlde Wherfore hit were more to be maruailed at it if she knew and dyd as she shulde than if she dyd amisse Crito They the whiche ye say haue good wyues haue they taughte them so in dede Socra It is a thynge not to stande longe vpon For I wyll brynge you my wyfe Aspasia the whiche shall shewe you all this better than I my selfe But me thynkethe that a wyfe beinge a good companion and a good felowe to her husbande in a house is very necessary and within a littel as moche worthe as the husbande For commonlye goodes and substāce do come in to the house by the labour and payne of the man but the woman is she for the moste parte that kepeth and bestoweth it where nede is And if these two thinges stande well to gether and be wel ordeined the houses do increace if not they muste nedes decaye More ouer me thinketh that I can shewe you in all sciences them that do worke and labour accordynge as they shulde if ye thynke that it nedeth But what nede you to reherse them all good Socrates sayde Critobulus For hit is nother possible for a man to haue worke men of all faculties suche as shulde be nor hym selfe to be experte in all But as for suche sciences as be mooste honorable and maye become me well to occupie them them I wolde ye dyd shewe me and also those men the which applie them selfes vnto them And ye of your syde helpe to teache me and further me in them as moche as ye can Ye speke very well frende Critobulus sayde Socrates For suche craftes as be called handye craftes they be very abiecte and vile and littell regarded and estemed in cities and cōmon welthes For they do destroye the bodies of those that do occupie them whan they make them to sytte euermore at home and to be fedde vppe alwaye in the shade and some make them to stande all the day staryng on the fire And whan the body is ones tender and feble the stomacke and spirite muste nedes to waxe a greatte deale the weaker And agayne they haue but smalle leysure to sette theyr mynde and diligence to do theyr frendes any good nor also the common welthe Wherfore suche men seme to be but a smalle comforte to theyr frendes at a nede nor no good men to succour theyr countree in tyme of ieopardie And for a suertie in some cities and common welthes and specially suche as be daylye in warre hit is not lawfull to neuer a cytesyn to occupie no handye crafte And what faculties wyll ye counsayle me to vse gentyll Socrates So. Let not vs thynke scorne nor be ashamed to folowe the kynge of the Persis For they saye that he supposynge the science of warre and also of husbandrye to be mooste honorable and also necessarye amonge other faculties dothe regarde and exercise them wondersly And whan Critobulus harde that he sayde Do ye thynke that the kynge of Persia carethe any thynge for husbandrye If we consydre hit after this maner sayde Socrates we shall parauenture come to knowlege whether he dothe or not For euery man graunteth that he settethe sore his studie vpon suche thīges as longe to warre For it is apointed to euery lieutenāt lorde of the coūtres vnderneth hym howe many men of armes morispikes bylles archers and crosbowes they shall haue redy in theyr wages either to kepe his subiectes frō rebellion for feare or to kepe the countre if enmyes do inuade it Beside these he layth garisons in all the towres and castels and there is a capitayne apoynted to paye them truely theyr wages and to se that there be no faute in hit And the kynge causeth euery twelue monthe the musters to be made of al them that be in
stronge and myghtye to suffre and endure hete and colde to iourneye and go a warfare Wherfore god hath in a maner commaunded and charged hym with those thynges that be done abrode oute of the house He also remembrynge that he hath ordeyned the woman to brynge vp yonge chyldren he hath made her farre more tender in loue towarde her chyldren than the husbande And where he hath ordeyned that the woman shulde kepe those thynges that the man getteth and bringeth home to her and he knowynge verye well that for to kepe a thynge surelye hit is not the worste poynte to be doubtful and fearefull he dealed to her a greatte deale more feare than he dyd to the man And he also perceyuynge that if any man dothe hym wronge the whiche laboureth and worketh without he must defende hym selfe he distributed to the man a great deale more boldnes And for bicause it behoueth that bothe they do gyue and receyue he hath gyuen them indifferently remembrance and diligence in so moche that it is harde to discerne whether kinde hath more of them either the man or the woman He hath also graunted them indifferently to refraine them selfes from suche thinges as is conuenient they do And hath gyuen them power and auctorite that loke in what thynge the either of them dothe the better he bringeth the more away with hym But bicause the natures and the dispositions of them bothe be not egallye so perfecte in all these thinges they haue so moche the more nede the tone of the tother And this couple is so moche the more profitable the tone to the tother bicause that that the tone lacketh the tother hath wherfore good wyfe seinge we se that whiche god hath ordeined for vs bothe we muste enforce and endeuour our selfes to do bothe our partis in the beste wyse The lawe semeth to comforte vs and exhorte vs to it the whiche coupleth man wyfe to gether And lyke wyse as god makethe them come to gether to gette children So the lawe wyll haue them liue to gether partakers one of an others goodes in good felawshyp Lyke wyse the lawe sheweth and god commandeth that it is beste for eche of them to do theyr parte For it is more honestie for a womā to kepe her house than to walke aboute And it is more shame for a man to byde slouggynge at home than to applie his mynde to suche thynges as muste be done abrode But if any man dothe contrarye to that that he is naturally borne to parauenture god wyll remembre that he breaketh his statutis and decrees and wyll punisshe hym outher for bicause he is negligent in that that he shulde do or elles bycause he takethe vpon hym that that belongeth to the wyfe Me thynketh also that the maistres bee that kepeth the hyue dothe lyke wyse that that god hath ordeyned her vnto And what dothe the maistres bee sayde she wherby it may be likened to that that I muste do For bicause sayde he hit bydeth alwaye in the hyue and wyll not suffre no bees to be ydell and they that shulde worke without she sendeth thē to theyr worke And what so euer any of them bryngethe home she marketh receyueth and saueth it vntyll the tyme come that hit muste be occupied And whan the tyme cometh that it muste be occupied than she distributeth euery thing accordyng as equite requireth And she causeth them that do byde within to weaue and make the faire hony comes after the beste wise and taketh hede to the yōge bees that they be well fedde and brought vppe But whan they be come to that age and to that point that they be able to worke she sēdeth them out with one the whiche they folowe as their gyde and capitayne And muste I do so to sayde my wyfe Ye forsothe sayde I For ye muste alway byde within the house and those men the whiche muste worke abrode ye must sende them to it and they that muste worke within ye must commande them and be ouer them to se them do it And that that is brought in ye must receiue it And that whiche muste be spente of it ye muste parte and deuide it And that that remaineth ye muste ley it vp and kepe it safe tyl tyme of nede And beware that that whiche was apoynted to be spente in a twelue monthe be not spente in a monthe And whan the wolle is broughte in to you ye muste se that hit be carded and sponne that clothe maye be made of hit Also ye muste se that the corne whiche is broughte in to you be not so moustye and dousty that hit maye not be eaten But one thynge specially aboue all other there is that ye muste be carefull fore and that shall gette you great fauour and loue that is if any of our seruantes happe to falle sicke that ye endeuour your selfe the best that ye can not onely to cherysshe them but also to helpe that they may haue their helthe agayne By my feythe sayde my wyfe hit is a verye gratious and a kynde dede For whan they be ones holpen and eased they wyll cunne vs very good thanke and be the more louynge and feythfull vnto vs. And me thoughte sayde Ischomachus that hit was an answere of a good and an honeste wyfe And by the reason of this good prouision of this maistres bee sayde I all the tother beare so good loue and affection vnto her that whan so euer she goth out of the hyue there wyll none tarye behynde but all wayte vpon her Than my wyfe answered me I do great lye maruayle whether suche thynges as ye saye the maistres bee dothe do not belonge moche more to you than to me For my kepyng and departing within were but a littell worthe excepte ye dyd your diligence that somwhat myght be brought in And my bryngynge in sayde I shulde auayle but a littell excepte there were one that kepte saued that that I brought in Do ye not se sayde I howe euery man hath great pite of them the which they say that their punisshement is to poure water in to tubbes full of hooles tyll they be full And they pite them for nothinge els but by cause they seme to labour in vayne By my fayth said my wyfe they be very miserable in dede the which do so There be other thynges that belonge to you to take hede of the whiche muste nedes be very pleasant vnto you as whan ye haue taken one in to your seruice that can nother spynne nor carde if ye teache her to do it hit shall be twyse so moche more worthe vnto you And if ye haue a maide the whiche is outher negligent or is not trewe of her handes or that can not wayte if ye make her diligent trustye and a good seruant all shall be to your great profette And agayne whan ye se your seruantes good and sobre felowes and profitable for our house ye muste do them good and shewe them