great Land-lords who for rebell Groundes Do Racke their Rents and idely liue on these Or spoyle their Tenants Cropp with carelesse Houndes But this rare Spirit that hath nor Flesh nor Bone But Man euen in the Abstract hunts for VVealth VVith Witt that runnes where Profit should be sowne By wholesome Paines so reaps both VVealth Health VVhether the Cost or Time which he hath spent Be most it 's hard to say for twenty yeares His Pounds by thousands he his Grounds hath lent VVhich payes now vse on vse as it appeares The Place wherein is fall'n His happy Lott Hight Golden-Valley and so iustly held His Royall TRENCH is as his melting Pott Whence issues Liquid-gold the Vale to gild O that I had a VVorld of glorious wordes In golden Verse with gold to paint his praise I would blinde Enuies Eyes and make Land-lords By this Sunnes rising see their Sonnes to raise But ô this is not all thou dost behight Deere Vaughan thy Deere Country for her good For thou resolu'st to raise that benefit Out of thy priuate care and Liu'lyhood Thy many trades too many to rehearse That shall on thy Foundation stedfast stand Shall with their Praiers still the Heauens pierce And blesse their Founders rare Head Heart and Hand That publike Table which thou will erect VVhere forty euery Meale shall freely feed VVill be the Cause of this so good Effect To plant both Trades and Trafficke there with speed There shall thy Iouialist Mechanicalls Attend this Table all in Scarlet Cappes As if they were King Arthures Seneschals And for their paines shall fill their Chapps and Lapps For neuer since King Arthurs glorious dayes VVhose radiant Knights did Ring his Table round Did euer any such a Table raise As this where Viands shall to all abound Nay this shall that franke Table farre exceed If we respect the good still done by each For that fedde none but such as had no need But this like God shall feed both poore and rich This Table then that still shall beare thy Name In Hyrogliphicks of the daintiest Cates As oft as it is spread shall spread thy Fame Beyond the greatest conquering Potentates They spill with spite what thou in pitty spend'st They onely great thou good how euer small Subuersion they Erection thou intend'st They foes to most but Thou a friend to all Thy vertuous care to haue thy God ador'd Among thy Paines and Pleasures all will blesse Thy Pension for a Preacher of his Word Shewes thou seek'st Heauen and earthly happinesse A Chappell and a Curate for the same The one maintain'd the other built by Thee For Gods Diurnall praise shall make thy Name In Rubricke of the Saints enrold to be Thine Almes-house for thy haplesse Mechanicks Shall blaze thy charity to After-ages And longer last in Brests of men then Bricks Increasing still thy heauenly Masters VVages If holy Dauid had great thanks from Heau'n But for the Thought to make the Arke an House Then thanks of all to Thee should still be giu'n VVhose purpose is to all commodious O happy Captaine that hast past the Pikes Of sharpest Stormes still wounding Soldiers states To end thy Dayes in that which all men likes Ioy Mirth and Fellowship which ends debates Thy Drummes and Trumpets Mars his melodie That wonted were to call thy foes to fight Shall now but call a friendly Company For honest ends to feasting and delight Glory of VVales and luster of thy name That giu'st to both sans Parralel'd renowne Vpon the Poles inscribed be thy Fame That it to Worlds vnknowne may still be knowne That they may say a Nooke but of an Isle That North-ward lies doth yeeld a rarer Man Then larger Lands by many a Thousand Mile Who can do Thus and will do what He can But many Monarches many Worldes haue wonne Yet with their Winnings haue not wonne that praise As this great-litttle Lord of hearts hath done For good-deedes done to These and After-dayes Now Enuy swell and breake thy bitter'st Gall With ceaselesse fretting at these sweete Effects Th' eternall good which he intends to all His Fame well fenc'd aboue a Foile erects Liu'd He among the Pagans they would make His glorious Mansion some auspicious Starre And make their Altars fume still for his sake As to a God to whome still bound they are For Bacchus but for planting first those Plants VVhereby mens Wealth and VVitt are oft ore'throwne VVhich wanton Nature rather craues then wants They as a God with Gods do still enthrone But let vs Christians though not yeeld Him this Yet giue him Loue and Honor due t' a Man That makes men liue like Gods in Wealth and Blisse And heaue his Fame to Heauen if we can Vaine Hanno taught his lesse vaine Birds to say Hee was a God and then he turn'd them loose That they abroad might chaunt it still but they So gon with silence prou'd their God a Goose. Then though no God he were yet might He be A right God-keeper in the Capitoll They Geese at most and so at least was He Or if ought lesse his God-head was a Gull But what I say none taught me but thy VVorth Nor shall it like those Birds thy Fame betray But these my Lines shall then best sett thee forth VVhen thou art worse then VVormes and lesse then Clay As well thy Crest as Coat ó wondrous thing A Serpent is about an Infants Necke VVho was thine Ancestor as Bards do sing So borne aliue the Fates to counterchecke From him thou cam'st as one in him preseru'd By way of Miracle for this good end As by thy skill to haue so well deseru'd Of all the Kingdome which it much will mend This praise perhaps which thy deserts exact By Enuy will be thought poeticke skill Playing the Vice but in a glozing Act And so wrong Witte to sooth an erring will But yet if Arte should leaue true Arte vnprais'd The only Meed the Time all Arte affords VVhat Spirit by Art would then at all be raiz'd From this VVorlds hel if Art should want good words Then be the mouth of Enuy wide as Hell Still open in thy spight yet say I still Thy praise exceeds because thou dost excell In these thy works that worke Good out of Ill. If I be lauish of good-words thou art As lauish of the good which thou canst do Then must thy praise be greate-good like thine Arte That goods thy praisers and dispraisers too In short sith on thy praise I long haue stood VVhereon my verses Feete do freely fall As thou dost worke by Flouds so th' art a Floud Of working running to the Good of all For as the Sunne doth shine on good and bad So doost thou Sunne of Vse-full Science still Then Floud and Sunne thou art the ground to glad And make it fruitfull to the good and ill But sith th'obscurest Sparke of thy bright Tribe Speakes thus of Thee thou small-great
man of worth It may be thought I praise to thee ascribe As part mine owne so falsely set thee forth But those so thinking when thy Worth they prooue With mee will thee both honor praise and loue Your poore kinsman and honorer of true vertue in whome so-euer IOHN DAVIES of Hereford In praise of this no lesse pleasant then most profitable worke LOe heere a worke a worke nay more then so A worke of workes for all it doth containe Makes wealth by Water ouer Land to floe Where-to workes runne that reach to honest gaine Then hast thou Land and Water there-with-all A little Land and Water so may stand That Land shall rise by that small Waters fall To high esteeme and raise thee with that Land This is no Dreame or if a Dreame it bee It is a Golden one and shewes by It That golden Worlds of wealth shall compasse thee If in this dreame thou art this worke of Witte Then shalt thou waking see for thine auaile Thy Grasse all Golde as in the Golden-Vale Iohn Strangwage In Libri Auctorem THe Bee is little yet esteemed much With no lesse cause for Workes as sweete as rare Who but with Dewes doe make their owners rich And but for others worke with ceaslesse care Then here 's a hony Bee that but with Dewes Exchequer'd in some Trench as in a Hiue Sowre grounds with Milke and Hony ouer-flowes Whereon both Hee and Others sweetly liue Which not so much for his owne good he gets Though like a Bee at need hee feedes thereon But to fill others too with honyed Sweets So with a Bee holds iust comparison In this they differ Bees for this doe dye But Hee for this shall liue immortally Robt Corbet In praise of this most profitable worke NO Plant can prosper if it water wants Nor Herbage flourish in a thirsty soile But giue that Drinke with water ply your Plants And both will yeeld you profit for your toyle Some Grounds yeeld Cellers wherein Nature putts Her choisest liquers to refresh the Mould There Founts and Channels for their Streames she cuts To cheere the Grounds where they their course do hold But Natures prouidence but little bootes Where water runnes at waste along the Land None giuing drinke vnto the thirsty Rootes Out of those Cellers being hard at hand Then to the Common and the Priuate weale How deere is hee that doth this arte reueale Henry Fletcher To the worthy Author and his worke VAVGHAN thou hast a Soule surmounting Soules In high Conceit and Action whose bright fire Mounts to the Spheare that Gaine to Glory rowles Which Men still seeke and Gods them-selues desire Who for thy countries profit doest not spare Thy Paines thy Meanes thy Body and thy Minde VVhose will is bent to make all well to fare By honest labour in a diuerse kinde A Proiect heere thou hast in pleasant phrase Obiected to the worlds Desiring-eye That while some practise some it doth amaze To see men mar'd soone made againe thereby Then sith like God thou canst make Men of Clods VVe needs must ranke thee with the Semy-gods Richard Harries In praise of these most praise worthy Water-workes BY Fire-workes many haue exploited things Past all beliefe and made the World admire Which Element beeing on her flaming Wings So Actiue is that all it strikes is Fire That comes to nought that so is ouer-come But these rich Water-workes worke leisurely Most quick increase in Earths most barren VVombe VVhich beares what One doth ten times sextuply Then who beleeues by Fire to finde that Stone Proiecting Gold much erre in that their Creede Sith it is Earth that 's kindly ouer-flowne That is the Stone indeed that does the Deed Then would'st thou make pure Gold ore-flow thy land So shall thy Soile be turn'd to golden Sand. Siluanus Dauies In praise of this as pleasant as profitable worke WOuld'st haue great pleasure then take paines to read This little Tract which little paines will doe Look'st thou for profit then thou heere maist speed VVhere pleasure great brings forth great profit too Vpon a Subiect rude as is the Earth Neuer was Pleasure so predominant Nor ne're so blithe was profit at her birth As here sith here she is so puissant All famous Writers still directly shott The Shafts of their Indeuours at these two For hitting these they gaine and glory gott The gaine of Loue and Learnings glory too Then loue and laud him who hath close compact Pleasure and profit for thee in this Tract Tho Rant In the praise of the Author and his effectuall workes DEere Rowland let thine Oliuer haue leaue Among thy Lauders his short Breath to spend To helpe them so to Heau'n thy fame to heaue VVhose Workes are Meanes t'an Earthly-heau'nly End Then Rowland take me with Thee Here and There That Rowland still may haue his Oliuer Oliuer Maynson In praise of the VVorke and Author MY little ROWLAND you may looke that I All things considered MVCH should say of you Then this your WORKE to say that MVCH in few Shall worke the Workers endlesse Praise and why A worldly Witt with Heau'nly Helpes indow'd Getts Ground and Glory of the Multitude Iohn Hoskins Once more for a Farewell In deserued praise of this neuer-too-much praysed Worke. GOod VVine doth need no Bush Lord who can tell How oft this old-said-Saw hath prais'd new Bookes But yet good VVater drawne from Founts and Brookes By Sluce the Signe makes dry Groundes drinke it well Men may haue store of VVater and dry Land Yet if they draw it not through Trenches fitt By Sluce that shewes how well to vtter it It idely runnes while scarse the Owners stand Good Water then by Sluce through Trench must passe For good returne that else runnes to no end VVhich Signe doth draw it in it selfe to spend On dryest Grounds that drunken cast vp Grasse VVhich giddy Simily in sober Sence Shewes the Effect of this VVorkes excellence Iohn Dauies THE AVTHOR I Would not feare with Cinick Doggs to fight Came they in Front But this will ill be borne Perhaps some Curres behind my Backe will bite But that 's their shame my glory it to scorne ROVVLAND VAVGHAN TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE VVILIAM EARLE OF PEMBROOKE LORD HERBERT OF CARDIFFE MARmion and S. Quintin Lord Parre of Rosse and Kendall Lord Warden of the Stanneries Captaine of his Maiesties Garrison-towne of Portesmouth and Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter My most honoured and respected Lord. MOST HONOVRABLE and my Noblest Lord I haue out of my liues experience prepared a Watry workemanshipp which I thinke the Gods forbad the excellent creatures in former times to handle but I haue performed That that hath begott a world of worke in Me which some men say will either impayre my witt or hazard my estate they said so in the execution of my water-workes but they ouer-said them-selues and the most part haue giuen mee satisfaction by maine submission or reconciliation I doubt not but
of a work worthy obseruation Hauing so many Riuers Brooks Fountaines and Springs which run idely vnto the Sea without Weare Sluce stay stanke or dam to turne some part of them vpon grounds that need them or to containe the substance of plow'd lands and dunghils which by violent showers washe away and runnes ranging by those grounds that hunger and thirst for want of moisture Our Husbandmen brag of raising Corne How out of ther painfull labours but if they want compost their increase is but barren and for ought I haue seene except some few Soiles which yeeld plenty of Hay by often ouerflowing of fresh Riuers or the Tide staying vppon them as it were by damm those fresh-waters yeeld their increase by nature without industry I would aske how many Shires bee in England and in euery Shire how many Riuers Brooks Fountaines and Springes If the number be great I would know how they be imployed and what our Corne-maisters which carry the reputation for good husbandry will say to it They will say peraduenture and so will all Husband-men without peraduenture it is easie to raise Corne with store of Compost but wanting Hay I would learne how compost may bee raised The question betweene errable conuerted to medow and errable not conuerted wil be this some will say there is no reason to put good errable to bad pasture So say I too Others will say ordinary errable exceedes ordinary Pasture It may bee true but I speake of good errable appointed to bee drowned I will giue no estimat of English Errable scituate neare London or Hauen Townes or to places more vendible then the country wherein I inhabite Yet this will I exemplifie out of my experience if the Principality were duly imploied each acre handled according to some plots begun I would hope to liue to see Wales called the Garden of England for our Welch-mountains yeelds infinit Fountains Springs the Grounds Fearny broomy it being of as a excellent temper to intertaine water as heart can wish vnlesse wee flye to the maine Sandy-grounds which are but sparingly found in Wales the Country lying in a hotte quarter of no cold Climate Now to speake of drowning at what time of the yeare with what water how long it may continue on the ground and what effect it will worke you shall haue all I know to the vttermost at least if I remember all Now fixing your fancy on this Misterie you must pry into euery Fallow-field Dung hil and Water-course in your neighbourhood then compare the quantity of ground vnto the quantity of water you can draw vnto it and if you find water ynough to answer your desire then in the beginning of your ground plant your weare or scluce in height leuell with the Bankes or exceeding it one foote or there aboutes ore-thwart the Riuer or Brooke and carry your Trench-Royall which is your grandmaister-Trench so farre as your ground extendes plimm or leuell that from the mouth of your Weare or Scluce to the end of the ditch or trench your water may flow backe againe ouer your scluce into the Riuer or brooke In so doing you haue a full command forward and backward without any descent to drowne at your pleasure though your trench royall rise in the end twenty or forty foote from the mouth of the scluce Hauing prepared your drowning-course bee very carefull that all your ground subiect to the same whether Medow Pasture or Errable bee as plaine as any garden-plott If you leaue any forrow reane or slade vnleuelled you shall finde that forrow reane or slade will receiue the most part of your water idely which otherwise would disperce ouer the whole and comber you with the care of new plowing it to make it the more plaine which will hinder you two or three yeares at the least Hauīng made your weare or scluce your Drowning-course or Trench your ground leuelled or plimmed thē followes your attendāce in flood-times see you suffer not your floud-water by negligence to passe away into the brooke riuer sea but by your sluce commaund it to your grounds and continue it playing theron so long as it appeares muddy and finding the substance decaying from a fat floud vnto cleare water take vpp your sluce or floud-gates and suffer the cleare water to haue his course vnto the maine brook or riuer again vntill new or fresh-flouds appeare and still as it riseth muddy imploy it on your grounds during the winter-season When you haue spent the winter in muddy-floods and your grounds seasoned by sucking the substance of each fallow and dung-hill be sure in the beginning of March to cleare your ground of cold water and keepe it as dry as a child vnder the hands of a dainty Nurce that the continuance of cold water in the body of your ground in the spring breed neither Rush Boult nor Spierygrasse but grasse much more profitable thick long and fine voyde of all Mosse Hard-heads Cow-slips or any weede what-so-euer Obserue respectiuely your soyle whether clay or sand for sandy-grounds will endure tenne times more water being naturally hotte then the cold clay yet some washers of grounds in their owne conceits will imagine it 's behoouefull to turne the water at all times on their lands or as long as they in their discretion thinke good But so may with indiscretion surfeit a clay-ground with a drunken-dropsie as all the Phisitions in the neighbourhood with all their visitations will hardly heale in two yeares space Hauing sufficiently sped your clay-ground in the drowning-time I meane Winter you may by negligence or ignorance suffer colde water in the heate of Summer to coole your ground so much that the vitall spirits will bee decayed and that moisture hauing gotten the vpper-hand the Sunne workes out of that drunken-dropsie ground the Rush and all other ill-pleasing stuffe and vnprofitable trash I said in the Spring you must keepe your grounds drye If March follow his kinde and Aprill drye ouerflowe it with Cleare-water that it receiue no drought for all men know if the Spring bee drye in May it 's two to one Haye neuer goes a begging Amongst other things an olde Drunkard once warned mee I should not suffer the roofe of my mouth to bee drye yet I neuer followed his example I remember the cup was neuer from his mouth and hee in the end dyed of a dropsie so in claye-ground in the heate of Summer drowne it moderately and it beeing once sufficiently seasoned in May you need not drowne it vntill a day two or three before you mowe At which time you prouide for mowing if sufficient showers haue not quallified the drought of your ground let downe your sluce into your trench-royall that there-by you may command so much water to serue your turne as you desire Which Trench-royall running on the plimme or leuell suffer it to discend where you meane first to mowe and you shall finde this manner of
MOST APPROVED And Long experienced water-VVATER-VVORKES Containing The manner of Winter and Summer-drowning of Medow and Pasture by the aduantage of the least Riuer Brooke Fount or Waterprill adiacent there-by to make those grounds especially if they be drye more Fertile Ten for One. As also a demonstration of a Proiect for the great benefit of the Common-wealth generally but of Hereford-shire especially Iudicium in melius perplexus cuncta referto Vera rei donec sit manifesta fides By ROWLAND VAVGHAN Esquire Imprinted at London by GEORGE EID. 1610. A PANEGYRICKE In the deserued honor of this most profitable worke and no lesse renowned then much-desired Proiect. I Sing of him that is as deere to mee As to the World to whom both aye are bound Then briefe for Bond so long I cannot be Vnlesse my Loue were like my Lines too round Proportion doth so please Witte Will and Sense That where it wants it grieues Sense Will and Witte Then by Proportion of his Excellence Thus must we shape our praise of Him and It. When as the Earth all soild in sinne did lye Th' almighties long-prouokt inraged-HAND Emptied Heau'ns Bottles it to purifie And made that FLVD that mud to countermand So for like crimes of late we plagu'd haue bin With like O'reflowings washing all away That lay the Earth vpon or Earth within Within the limitts where this Deluge lay Which Inundations were for Earth vnfit But hee whose Hand and Head this WORKE compos'd Shewes how to drowne the Earth to profit it And beeing Ill to make it Well-disposd Some with their Lands doe oft so sinck them-selues That they to it and it to them yeeld nought But in the Ocean what doe yeeld the Shelues VVhich when they see they flee with pensiue thought But in His Drownings He makes Lands arise In grace and goodnesse to the highest pitch And Meades and Pastures price he multiples So while some lies He rise doth in the Ditch His royall TRENCH that all the rest commands And holds the Sperme of Herbage by a Spring Infuseth in the wombe of sterile Lands The Liquid seede that makes them Plenty bring Here two of the inferior Elements Ioyning in Coitu Water on the Leaze Like Sperme most actiue in such complements Begets the full-pancht Foison of Increase For through Earths rifts into her hollow wombe VVhere Nature doth her Twyning-Issue frame The water soakes whereof doth kindly come Full Barnes to ioy the Lords that hold the same For as all Womens wombes do barren seeme That neuer had societie of Men So fertill Grounds we often barren deeme VVhose Bowells Water fills not now and then Then Earth and Water warmed with the Sunne Ingenders what doth make Man-kinde ingender For Venus quickly will to ruine runne If Ceres and her Bacchus not defend her Then looke how much the Race of Man is worth So much is worth this Arte maintaining it Then ô how deere is hee that brought it forth VVith paine and cost for Man-kinds benefit Though present Times that oft vngratefull prooue May vnder-valew both his Worke and Him Yet After-times will prize them Price aboue And hold them Durt that doe their glory dim For He by Wisedome ouer-rules the Fates By Witt defeating passions of the Ayre VVhen they against his well-fare nurse debates VVhile fooles ore-rul'd by each die through dispaire In dropping Sommers that do marre the Meads His Trenches draine the Raines superfluous Almes And when heate wounds the Earth to death that bleeds Hee cures the chaps with richest VVater-balmes So when Heau'n ceaselesse weepes to see Earths sinne He can restraine those Teares from hurting him Vntill his Teares the Heau'ns to ioy do win While other Grounds are torne the life from limbe And when the Earth growes Iron for Hearts so growne Hee can dissolue it straite as Waxe it were Mantling the Meadowes in their Summer-Gowne So ioyes in hope while others grieue in feare Thus wisemen rule the Starres as Starres doe fooles And each mans manners doe his Fortunes square Arte learnes to thriue in Natures practick Schooles And Fortune fauours men of actions rare Such one is this rare Subiect of my Rimes Who raignes by mirry motion 'ore my Spleene Such is this Water-glasse wherein these Times Do see how to adorne their Meades in Greene. Hee from a Mole-hill from whose hollow wombe Issu'd a Water-fount a Mount did reare A Mount of large Reuenues thence did come So a Mole-hill great with yong a Mountaine bare How many Riuers Founts and Water-prills Tendring their seruice to their Lords for Rent Are nere imployde but in poore Water-mills While the drye Grounds vnto the Bones are brent To Tantalus I can resemble those That touch the water that they n'ere doe taste And pine away Fruite being at their Nose So in Aboundance they to nought do waste The Brookes runne murmuring by their parched Brincks Pure virgin Nimphes and chide against the Stancks When as their sweetest profer'd seruice stinkes So coyly kisse the chapt-lippes of the Bankes And weake as water in their Beds do stretch As t' were to yeeld their Ghost for such disgrace Their Christall limbes vnto the vtmost Reach And shrinke from th' Armes that vselesse them imbrace When as the Meads wherein their Beds do lye Make towards them and fall by lumpes therein Who of the yellow Iaundise like to dye Creepe to their Beds their loue and health to winne O Landlords see O see great Lords of Land These sencelesse creatures mou'd to eithers aid But for your helpe who may their helpes command Then well command you shall be well obaid Helpe Nature in her Workes that workes for you And be not idle when you may do good Paines are but Sports when earnest gaines insue For Sport in earnest lies in Liuelihood The Golden-age is now return'd againe Sith Gold 's the God that all commands therein By Gold next God Kings conquer rule and raign With Gold we may commute or grace our sinne Briefly by Him we may do what we will Although we would do more then well we may For He makes ill too good and good too ill And more then God the ill do him obay Then if ye would be eyther Great or Good Or Good and Great all which he can you make Take pleasure ô to saue your Liuings Bloud And streame it through their Limbes for Profus sake This Esculapius of diseased Grounds Casting their Water in his Vrinalls His Trenches sees what Humor ore-abounds And cures them straight by Drought or Water-falls This little-great-great-little Flash of Witt. This Soule of Action all compos'd of Flame Mounting by Action to high Benefit Exalts his State his Countries and his Fame He well deserues to be a Lord of Land That ore rebellious Lands thus Lords it well O that all Lords that can much Land command Would so command it when it doth rebell But Pleasure Pompe and inter-larded Ease Possesse
Bake-house what of my shambles my Haye Prouender my Chandlers-shopp my Barke vnto the Tanner to whom I sell all my Hides the Glouer hath all my Pelts what prouision my owne estate will not affoord the neighbourhood can prouide it that neither want nor scarsitie shall afflict any of his Maiesties seruants and subiects My good Lord let it not seeme irkesome to you nor cloy your dainty eare that thus I belabour your attention with repetition of these countrey-commodities and common-wealths Requisites so to season your courtly pleasures as sharpe sawce doth sweete meates but when you bend your regarde to these things as I doubt not but you will For actiue witte in short time turnes to working wisdome The worlds obseruation will then know you waxe ripe for the highest imployments For it strongly argues youth is then well mellowed when it begins to looke into these necessaries for mans life with Ages eyes Pleasures that tickle our sences make vs but spoile Pretious-time while they betray our Reason that should rule rebellious affections that ought to obey The sooner these enemies to mans dignity are shaken off from the Minde the sooner will the Minde aduance the Body to dignity It is a glorious how euer troublesome thing to haue a chiefe Oare in the Shipp of a well-gouernd state The benefit of life in great men cannot be better imployde then to the benefit of good men For the Back and Belly is Natures chiefe care these beeing prouided for shee sweetly takes repose What is ouer beside is for Ornament which shee wants not for pompe which she requires not or for pleasure which if shee wanted shee would the more abound in all goodnesse Now my good Lord these Indeuoures and Workes of mine tending to thee full supply of the Back and Bellyes wants are to be heedfully respected in their particulers by you that one day may haue this care cast vpon you by God King Countrey to see to the necessities of All while you consult but with a Few It s merry in hall when beards wagge all saith the old Prouerbe And it 's a merry Weale-publick where euer-enough is as good as a feast suffizing all by good gouernment The manner of my Drownings AFter I had spent some yeares in Queene Elizabeths Court and saw the greatnes and glory therof vnder the command of Mistres Blanch Parry an honorable Vertuous Gentlewoman my Aunt and Mistresse my spirite beeing too tender to indure the bitternesse of her humor I was by her carefull though crabbed austerity forced vnto the Irish wars where I cōtinued three or foure yeares some-times twist deep in that country-water what with long fasting and ill diet I was possessed with the Country-disease the extremity whereof hasted mee to returne to my Fathers home in the County of Heref. for recouery of my health which within sixe months I obteined After it pleased GOD to giue mee recouery I resolued for the Lowe-countrey-warres againe and hauing begun my iourney thetherward I happened on a Country-Gentlewoman who was seized of a Mannor and ouer-shot Mill which conuerted all my martiall endeuours and hopes of honor to these country-labours Hauing soiourn'd two yeares in my Fathers house wearied in doing nothing and fearing my fortunes had beene ouer-throwne in putting by my Martiall occupation I began to expostulate with my selfe what was best to be done to preserue my reputation with my martiall companions and with-all to giue contentment to my vertuous and louing wife And while I was to settle a resolution comparing these desires together my Wiues importunity caused mee to quitt their ordinary familiarity yet with limitation at such times as conueniency might afforde This restraint of hers drewe mee to the attendance of home-labours who prayed mee with-all in my walkes abroad to haue an eye to her Millers true dealing I prayed her to put ouer that seruice to some seruant of hers for of all trades I had least confidence in their truth and therefore required the more paines to be taken in watching their water looking to their fingers which I was loth to vndertake not-with-standing vpon better consideration least shee should haue held me carelesse of her good and so ill deserue her loue I obeyed her will as many doe and many miseries do ensew thereby So in the month of March falling with the streame to the milneward within my Meade with no desire I protest to fashion or forme Husbandry I happened to finde a Mole or Wants nest raised on the brim of the Brooke like a great hillocke from which nest or hillocke there issued a little streame of water drawne by the working of the Wante downe a sheluing or descending ground one pase broad and some twenty in length The running of which little Streame did at that time wonderfully content mee seeing it pleasing Greene and that other on both sides full of Mosse and Hide-bound for want of water This was the first cause I vnder-tooke the drowning of grounds Now to proceede to the execution of my vvorke beeing perswaded of the excellencie of the water I examined how many footefall the Brooke yeelded from my Mill to the vpper-most part of my grounds beeing in length a measured Mile There laye of old Meadow-ground thirty acres ouer-worne with age and heauily laden with Mosse Cowslips and much other imperfit grasse betwixt my Mill-streame and the maine Riuer which with two shillings cost my granfather and his gransire with the rest might haue drown'd at their pleasures But from the beginning neuer any thing was done that either tradition or record could witnesse or any other testimonie Hauing vewed the conuenientest place the vpper-most part of my ground would afforde for placing a Commanding-Weare or Sluce I espied diuers Water-falls on my neighbours grounds higher then mine by seauen or eight foote which gaue me greater aduantage for drowning of more ground then I was of my owne power able to doe I acquainted them with my purpose the one being a Gentleman of worth and good nature gaue mee leaue to plant the one end of my Weare on his side the Riuer the other my Tenant beeing very aged and simple by no perswasion I could vse would yeeld his consent alledging it would marre his ground yea some-times his Apple-trees and men tolde him water would raise the Rush and kill his Cow-slipps which was the cheefest Flower that his Daughters had beeing many to tricke the May-pole withall All which with scilence I past ouer for a time knowing his simplicity to exceed his discretion yet in the end I re-enforc'd my perswations and tolde him next vnto the King I was to bee obeyed in matters reasonable and that it became him not to prouoke his Land lord nor to stand at the staffes end with his Commander Yet these Buggs-words would not mooue him Then gaue I a fresh charge and to draw him on with a Baite which hee would soone bite at tould him I had a Meddow-plott
in his neighbourhood worth ten pound which I would part with on reasonable termes but before I could make him beleeue hee was a foole he gott the Fee-simple thereof Which President doth falsifie the old-said-Saw Thou art an old doting foole After I had wrought this farre I caused my seruant a Ioyner to make a leuell to discouer what quantitie of ground I might from the entry of the Water obtaine allowing his dubling-course compassing Hills to cary it plym or euen which fell out to bee some three hundred Acres After I had plimmed it vpon a true Leuell I be-tooke my selfe to the fauour of my Tenants Friends and Neighbours in running my maine-trench which I call my Trench-royall I call it so because I haue within the contents of my worke Counter-trenches defending trenches topping or brauing-trenches Winter and Summer-trenches double and treble-trenches a trauersing trench with a point and an euer-lasting trench with other troublesome-trenches which in my Map I will more liuely expresse When the Inhabitants of the country wherin I inhabit namely the Golden-Valley saw I had begun some part of my worke they summoned a consultation against mee and my man Iohn the leuellour saying our wittes were in our hands and not in our heads so we both for three or foure yeares laye leuell to the whole Country-censure for such Enginors as their fore-fathers heard not of nor they well able to endure with-out merryment When my labours tooke beginning they became subiect to discourse Diuerse Gentlemen with others inquired from whence I had my Examples and where I saw any such worke I could not answere them but with an other question namely where sawe you any such They said no where Truly nor I. In the running and casting of my Trench-royall though it were leueld from the beginning to the end vpon the face of the ground yet in the bottome I did likewise leuell it to auoyde error For the Breadth and Depth my proporcion is ten foote broad and foure foote deep vnlesse in the beginning to fetch the water to my drowning-grounds I rann it some halfe mile eight foot deepe and in some places six-tenne-foote broad Al the rest of the Course for two miles and a halfe in length according to my former proportion VVhen my VVorke began in the Eye of the Countrey to carry a shew of profit it pleased many out of their courtesie to giue it commendations and to applaud the Inuention The Ioyner hearing the commendations to bee generall and hee the Leueller which was he thought the cheefe Agent in the Action there grew a brabble betwixt vs. Hee began to insult and arrogate as a Coadiutor by reason of his leuelling and desired hee might bee signified a principall party to the Inuention I bad him haue patience the Inuention was mine together with the dignity and told him withal the ambition of soldiers would not indure society with men of Mechanicall trades I only imploy'd his hand and not his head So hauing compounded the brabble betweene vs I fell into the handes of an vnskilfull Carpenter in planting my commaunding Weare or Scluce crosse the maine Riuer Hee gaue mee such assurance for the safe continuance thereof that hee vndertooke to maintaine it with twelue pence a yeare during his life After hee had prepared it ready for the foundation hee planted some thousand stakes in the bottom of the Brooke to carry the maine Syll. When the Syll was lodged vppon the Pile of Stakes I began to suspect the foundation and told him a great part of the water would vndermine the Syll and that I should hardly indure the want therof at my Drowning-times especially in Sommer Hee grew teasty hott and peremptory and sayd it was not the Maisters manner to controule but to examine and that all his VVater-workes were according to the Venetian foundation built altogether vppon Piles but the Venetian-fashion forced mee to want water ten yeares space which was out of my way two thousand poundes The reason was this the water vndermining the Syll it forced the Earth beyond the postes which were placed in the firme ground and hauing gotten the vpper hand of the main-Land it could not bee holp vntill the Sylle were rais'd againe I hadde a continual purpose to re-edifie it but that I was interupted by the ordinary course of Processe out of the honorable Courts of Starre-chamber Chancery and Wardes the last of the three bredd more white haires in my head in one yeare then all my Wetshod-water-workes did in sixteene Not that I had cause to complaine of Iniustice but because I vnderstood not the course of the Courts being pusled with an old Feodary and a foolish Escheter the life and death of my cause resting in their mercy Twelue Iurors who passed against mee lawe equity and conscience Vpon which Verdit I was by Iniunction commanded to deliuer the body of a Warde I had in keeping which I refused to doe It happened my Councell found Error in the Office and ouer-threwe the former proceedings which was the ouer-throwe of my Water-workes for fiue yeares space The ouer-throwne Office was a stolne Office and found before I had notice of it But beeing ouer-throwne matter of greater consequence followed The Queenes Atturney commanded the Feodary who had gotten a grant of the Ward to exhibite enformation against mee in his name wee had Commission vpon Commission wee indured heauye and chargeable examinations Vppon which Examinations I had a Hearing in that Honourable Courte and though it could not passe against me yet it passed not with mee One other Commission came downe A lury impanalled Witnesses re-examined That Iury found with mee in my conscience not one of the number vnderstood his euidence All which I shew to satisfie the Inquisitor why so long I neglected my begunne Water-workes When the Escheator Feodary Commissioners and Iurors hadde putt their hands seales to the Office I prepared my self to my forsaken Water-works hauing left my wanton Ward in London in the custody of a Precisian or Puritan-Taylor who would not indure to heare one of his seruants Sweare by the Crosse of his Sheares hee was so full of Sanctity in deceipt But the first newes I heard hee marryed my Welch Neece to his English Nephew and at my returne I was driuen to take his word that hee was neyther priuy to the contract nor the marriage I desir'd but his oth for my satisfaction hee badde mee haue patience it was not his fashion to forsweare him-selfe Thus hoping I had beene quit of the cause I prayed recompence of the Offender But within sixe months a new Commission came downe and a new Office found against mee which manner of proceeding I thinke was able to breede white hayres in a Brittaines beard SINCE THE FIRST Time I vndertooke the drowning of my groundes I as carefully as I could sought to better my vnderstanding by other mens labours yet in the whole Kingdom I neuer found nor heard
drowning in the morning of your mowing so profitable and good that commonly you gaine ten or twelue dayes aduantage in growing for drowning before mowing a day two or three so supples the ground that it doth most sweetly release the roote of euery particuler grasse although the Sunne bee neuer so extreame hotte otherwise if you drowne not before you mowe you mow one day you ted an other you spend one in gathering it into winde-cockes and with-all stand vpon the vncertainty of the weather whether you dare aduenter to breake your cockes or no. Beeing broken they must haue a drying time before they can bee put into greater cockes and then opening them againe into the last and greatest by tedding gathering cocking recocking and treble-cocking your haye continuing aboue a weeke on the ground the ground being bare and induring the heate of the Sunne at Mid-summer in the hottest time it doth so drye and parch the ground that if the heauens yeeld not more raine then is necessary for a Common-wealth your later-mates will prooue vnprofitable where drowning before mowing will make good a second mowing and in walking ouer grounds I will tread as on Veluet or a Turkey Carpet This Drowning before Mowing puts wormes to execution or forceth them to flye from their habitation for sure I am that that ground will not bee troubled with them vntill they raise a new generation and that cannot well bee in those grounds with-out great store of heate which if it happen to what end serues your water but to season the ground againe The Summer may bee so extreamly hotte as the feruencie thereof may force you to double or trebble drowning yet I would wish all those that haue not the true vnderstanding and vse of the water before they put this in execution to enquire where any such worke is and hauīng found the place to obserue the Weare that commands the Riuer and to note the length of the trench-royall and plimme thereof what stankes lists or trenches bee within the contents of the grounds and hauing found your drowning and fore-recited trenches obserue what height euery stanke or damme is and if you can see the flouds playing against the damme your experience in beholding it goeth farre beyond mine I will not forgett the two-foote-trench topping your Maine-riuer with-in foure or fiue foote from the Banke as occasion is offered The vse of which Trench so neere the Riuer many may wonder at as many haue done why it should bee drawne so neare the maine riuer it being but two foote broad and one foote deepe I know not how all Riuers and Brookes runne else-where but in that which I labour the ground is much higher on the Riuer side then the maine-flatt-bottome and where by sluce I drowne some thirty Acars vpon a reasonable leuell yet vpon the Riuer side the height is such as my sluce will doe no good if I suffer the water to descend into the flat bottome not taking the aduantage in the beginning of my Topping-trench If part of your ground bee drownd and some part forgotten there is a fault somewhere either by ignorance or negligence or both but to helpe both I pray you forgett not to runne this trench topping and brauing your Riuer that in the Winter you drowne that with the rest In Summer your commaund is more absolute it beeing sheluing or descending to your flatt-bottome-ground you may with a boord of two foote broad and one foote deepe stay that water and suffer it to play vpon the face of the ground halfe a quarter of an houre or little more vntill it meete with your flatt bottome And thus you may handle the braueing-trenche by drowning the sheluing ground euery morning in the heate of Summer before and after mowing so long as you finde the Sunne forceable Your flatt-bottom ground beeing in the heate of Summer drownd suffer the water from your sheluing or descending Trenche but to kisse the hand or soote of the same for it beeing claye and once drowned before mowing in the extreame heate it will not endure a second drowning with-out danger vnlesse the heate doe so extreamlye increase that one extremitie must incounter another So you may fall to double drowning if there bee cause which you shall easilye finde by trying the temper of your ground thus If a riding rodde beeing some-what stiffe will enter into the ground two foote deepe or more it sheweth it hath had moysture sufficient by the former drownning If the rodde will not enter in but by difficultie or forceable handling you may iudge it to bee ouer-dryed And in this manner make tryall in what state your ground stands whether too drye or sufficiently seasoned If to drye giue it watry sustenance to nourish and reuiue the dying roote and hauing satisfied your ground suffer your two-foote-trench to haue a continuall course of water Winter and Summer for these reasons following That is to say In Summer when you would drowne your trench beeing full you neede not staye the letting downe of a sluce out of the maine Riuer for so shall you staye the time vntill your water rise to the highest of your sluce and beeing risen must haue a time to come into your two-foote-trench to execute what you would haue done where otherwise your trench beeing continually full you may as I sayd appoint your seruant with a boord to stay or stoppe the trench and so from place to place drowne your sheluing or descending ground from the beginning of your trench to the end thereof both day lye and hourely This Topping or Brauing-trench hath this excellencie with-all that it running continually in the trench frees your grounds from Moules or Wants for they will not worke in water If they desire to fall into the midst of your other Meades they must vnder-mine the Trench swimme the Trench or some way shuffle ouer If they do see their danger they being once found to worke in the belly of your Mead they bee subiect to death by your commanding the water from your two-foote-trench to descend on the rere-ward the sodaine course whereof comes so fast vppon them and they wanting foot-manshippe to rescue their liues are ouertaken to their vtter ouerthrow Suffer not one Moule or Want to liue betweene your two-foote-trench and the maine Riuer which is not far distant They hauing no great scope to worke will so vndermine from the brink of the maine Riuer to the brimm of your Trench that in your drowning-time in the heate of Sommer you shall finde so many Springs from their workingholes into the Riuer which if you stop not with great care in finding the places of breach the most part of your water will runne into the Riuer idely To speake of the brauing-trench Beginning at the Commanding-weare or Scluce it works this effect if the violence of the flood should bee such as vppon a sodaine your hay at Midsomer should be drowned by ouer-flowing the banke
or in your After-math-time the like should happen it is at your choise whether you will suffer that inconuenience or no for the Earth taken out of your two-foote Trench beeing throwne on the one side of the same raiseth the Ground higher then that beyond the Riuer by two foote at the least which forceth the Floud altogether on the other side and keeps your Hay and After-math euer in safety This Topping or Brauing-Trench must runne to the lower part of your Groundes as a handmaid to the maine Riuer to attend your pleasure Winter and Sommer I would haue you suffer some VVater to runne therein continually VVhich continuall running will scowre your Trench and lett all filth from falling therein and if it should fall you are driuen to often cleansing it Beeing sometimes with VVater and sometimes without the Mole or VVant instantly possesseth the same and workes along the Trench an Arrow shoote in length And it beeing so exceeding moist makes many Holes cleane through into the maine Riuer and at your next turning in of the VVater will it issue out at euery particular Hole and your Trench beeing but foure or fiue foote from the Riuer the Ground beeing too much moistned falleth or calueth downe into the same It 's not sufficient when you haue conueyed your Water from your first Sluce into the Body of your ground or brauing-trench then to giue it liberty to runne a head for so will it fall into the lowest part but you must gouern and lead it beginning at the highest of the ground vnto rising places and so suffer it to descend against some Stanke or Damme which you must raise as occasion shall bee offered As this if your ground falls so much that the course of the water offers to runne into the maine Riuer againe before you haue done with it Raise a Stanke a foote two three foure or fiue or so many as may stay it to the height you desire and force the same against the Ground vnto your lower Grounds and so continue it playing from Stanke to Stanke from the beginning to the end thereof So shall you bee sure by raising of these Stankes or Damms to stay all the substance of substantiall Waters which is forced by your Weares or Sluces into the body of your ground there to remaine where if there were no Stanke or Dammne the water running head-long into the lowest part carrieth the substance so mainly forward that little or nothing at all wil be left vpon the face of the ground to nourish the same Now to furnish you with the present vnderstanding how to make your Flanks or Dams in what place and how farre you would haue it drowned repaire into the lowest part in the beginning of your vppermost ground where if you desire to pound it to such a hight pitch your Leuell there which Leuell or Instrument I will make knowne more familarly vnto you in the Mapp of my Worke which you shall find in this booke incerted and commaund your seruant to hold some staffe with a paper bound about some two inches broad and looke through your Leuell from the lowest part of your Ground vnto your desired place In this manner your Leuell will assure you how to cast your ground to an inch And when you haue truly learned to Leuel which in one hour I will vndertake to teach you you may range ouer the Kingdome as principall suruayors of Riuers Brookes Fountaines and Springs and accuse the best wits of the greatest negligence in matter of the greatest Common-wealth It hath beene sayd by some Water-Workes be chargeable and dangerous They bee so for if you aduenture to commaund maine Riuers as Thames Seuerne and the like you may iudge with what difficulty it will bee done In their beginnings Breadth and Depth is increased by a number of small Brookes the Commaund therof goeth beyond the estates of the most men yet there is no Riuer in the Realme be it Thames or Seuern where there is any descent but that I wil steale by Counter-trench when the muddy floud is leuel with the bank so much water as I desire If you aske mee how broad and deepe the Trench must be I would know what quantity of ground you haue to drowne if much your Trench must be the wider and deeper I need not putt you in minde to raise a sluce on the mouth of your trench if you do it not common inconuenience will compell you You will neuer drowne so oft as the floud riseth to the height of the banke because of your hayand after-math in Sommer Therfore as I sayd you will be compelled for your safety-sake to Sluce your trench As your Trench-royall feedes your sheluing-groundes and falls into the flat-bottome and rising to the height of your first second and third stanke with the rest take heed the water exceed not the height of any of your stanks or damms a hayrs-breadth for the force of the water and violence of the winde in a furious tempest will ouer-throw it as if the Canon plaid against it I haue forborne to speake of my Stank-Royall which is of purpose prepared to intertaine the Trench-royall which Trench-royall in the continuance of his running vndertakes the safe conduct of three Brookes and some Springes withall to the Rendez-uous or place of generall Consultation where their imployment shall be whether against the Stanke-royall the Maine-stankes the Counter-Trench or the rest But indeed the Stanke-royall intertaines all commers the Trench-royall and her Hand-maid Brookes and forceth them seauen foote in height The aduantage wherof drowneth sixe-score Acres in three houres and twenty Acres in the returne backe In a Counter-trench forty Acres in a Trauersin-Trench twenty more in Sommer and Winter-Trenches twenty in double and treble Trenches and the rest twenty more Take vpp the Sluce which commaunds the Stanke-royall and in one houre my Euer-lasting Trench conueyes the Trench-royll and all the hand-maid Brookes into the maine Riuer and for ought I haue heard after I gaue it passe it had peaceable progres into Seuerne without examination I will acquaint you with a manner of drowning which you may very well like off If you will handle two or three hundred Acres of Ground you shall dayly drowne Winter and Sommer for euer some part sheluing or descending and the rest Flat-bottome deuides by Defending-Trenches For cleare VVater will supple your Sheluing-Ground if it continue thereon sixe or seauen dayes But ther 's a discretion to bee vsed Therefore I aduise as you drowne the Sheluing-Ground with cold and cleare Water in the cold of Winter suffer none to fall into the Flat-bottome but your Muddy-flouds For you well know that the water passing downeward doth indure most violent labour in running and beeing sodainly taken away it doth sodainly drye and none at all remaines to infect the ground If it steale into the Flatt-bottome the coldnesse of the cleare-water with the coldnesse of the ground in
the cold of Winter wanting the heat of the Sunne to dry it vp it being lodged in so plaine and pleasing a place will venture life to raise the rush Now seeing I haue spoken of the excellency of drowning I will speak som-what of mine ambition therein THer was neuer General of an Army-royall nor Admirall of an Armado more ambitious then I haue beene in brauing my Trench-Royall And wearied with ouer-walking my selfe therein I repayred to my stank-royall and I beeing raised seauen foote in height I was so possest with the pride of my walke that I thought my selfe fitter to bee Gouernour of a Towne of Warre then Commaunder of a hungry VVater-worke But remembring within the compasse of my age a Greate Person stood to bee Generall of an Armie that neuer saw the face of the Warre nor neuer fought Combat with an Enemy A Councell of Warr beeing called it was answered by a Grand-Captaine hee had neither the Words nor Art of VVar Therefore dangerous for the States to aduenture the Kingdome to try his experience The rest more vnder-valued him Saying hee were fitter to bee Chauncellor to a Lord-Bishoppe then Generall of an Armie-Royall These their censures fortified mee in mine old labours So by little and little I forgatt the Ambitious Resolutions of the Honourable VVarrs and the Pleasures of a Parke withall wherein I yearely killed at least twen-Buckes and Sores The loue of my Water-workes stole my desire from thence that in the whole number of twenty yeares I cannot say I was at the killing of one Bucke although my Parke-pale came within twenty foote of my trench-Royall hauing some yeares twenty Buckes killed with a kennell of Hounds and louing the sport as much as he that lou'd it most The Maister of a Water-worke may well bee compared to the generall of an Armie which hauing beleagred a Towne it behooueth him for their safetie to fortifie and block all passages and In-rodes that the Enemies sodaine Alarum annoy them not So must the Maister of a Water-worke attend euery shutt and shower that threatens excesse whether in mid day or mid night commanding his Centinell-Seruant to search the sluces whether they bee vp or downe If it happen before mowing or in your after-math-time take vp the Sluce and giue it passage into the maine Riuer for the sodaine ouer-plus your Trench-royall will conuoy into your euerlasting-trench vnlesse your desire be to ouer-flow some parcell of pasture or meade that 's ouer-eaten I protest it hath beene more grieuous to mee in Summer-season to see a muddy-floud run idle with-out command then to see a lustie wanderer quarter the country with-out being put to worke Touching the offices of my number of sluces the first commands the main-riuer in the beginning of my Trench-royall The second commands the maine Riuer into my brauing-trench some halfe mile lower The third commands the same Riuer a mile below at the lowest part of my ground So you see that within the running of two miles I plant three sluces the maine Silles being forty foote long The reason why I planted so many within the length of two miles was this the riuer being thirty foote broad and ten-foote deepe my Trench-royall beeing but ten-foote broad and foure-foote deepe it receiued no more water then the breadth and depth would giue leaue Not-with-standing the quantity of water my Trench-royall receiued I did not find the want of any in the maine-riuer which caused me to raise those two other sluces grieuing so commodious an Element so rich and substantiall should fall into the Bowels of the sea with-out profit I call that a Trench-royall where part of the maine-riuer is commanded by sluce into it I call that a counter-trench where part of the riuer is stolne in by the rising of the flood to the leuell of the banke with-out sluce My topping or brauing-trench is that which hand-maides the maine-riuer side by side vnto the end of the worke The Winter and Summer-trenches bee those that water the grounds in the Summer-time Hauing drownd with cleare water a parcell of ground it being satisfied and forsaken I furnish the rest of my Trenches with that water vntill a Meade of thirty or fortye Acres bee sufficiently seasoned You must know you cannot drowne so many Acres not hauing the aduantage of these many Trenches and Lists vnlesse your ground bee all flatt-bottom hauing a stoute and strong water with-all My double and treble-trenches require a parcell of plaine ground containing fortye Acres or more At your turning-water in it will hardlye dispeirce ouer the whole the weakenesse thereof is such in Summer-season if it bee not holpe and assisted with Summer-lysts that runne the length of the land you labour in You may raise the Liste in this manner In the middest of the Meade in place of best aduantage force a couple of Furrowes of each side with your Plowe encountring each other cleanse those Furrowes and place the earth aboue by this meanes your List falls out to be a foote-path when both sides of your ground are drownde Summer and Winter This manner of speaking may seeme strange vnto you But if you did see the manner of the worke you would say it could not bee otherwise exprest The trauersing-trench is that which receiues the water from the counter-trench and the Stanke-royall running on a whorle his sluce being taken vp is receiued by a Bastard-sluce which doth disperse on both sides the Treneh and that 's the cause I call it a Trauersing-trench My euerlasting-trench endures more trouble then all the rest the Trench-royall running at a floud-time as a shipp vnder-saile beeing Admirall of the rest and hauing determined of all the duties of the seuerall Stankes Trenches and hand-maide brookes they humble them-selues to the Stanke-royall and prayes no longer continuance there then they prooue profitable to that place which is so long as they carry filth in their fore-heads I meane a muddy floud and declining to a cleere water the euerlasting-trenche receiues it to his common course with as much ioye to the Maister as may bee I cannot well giue significant names to all those Trenches which I call troublesome therefore I pray I may bee forborne to speake of them at this time I had almost forgotten to make a true report of the euerlasting-trench it 's but a bastard-brooke falling from my Parke into the mouth of my trench-royall and his course stopt by a Weare or sluce not inferiour to any in the maine-riuer This bastard-brooke is commanded by that sluce to attend the trench-royall to the rendez-uous or place of imployment drowning altogether which descending against the stanke-royall is forced into his euer-lasting-course againe Against another Weare or sluce comparable to any of the rest what-so euer you shall vnderstand why these two maine Weares or sluces bee planted vpon so beggerly a brooke the trench-royall crossing the brooke so farre as the ground extends
must either haue passe in the end which cannot bee with-out leaue of the inhabitant belowe or forc'd backe againe ouer the first Weare three mile aboue which may bee but the purpose is the euerlasting-trench shall haue an euerlasting continuance to receiue the Surplus of the floud-water for defence of your Hey and after-math The ancient bredth and depth is inlarged for that the floud being drawne into the Trench-royall must fall into this euerlasting-trench and being inlarged the trench-royall intertaines it without preiudice to any of the grounds My lasting discourse hath almost done with my euerlasting-trench As the trench-royall commands the euerlasting-trench to the rendezuous or Consultation-place so the counter-trench hath the like command else-where And as the euerlasting-trench is sluced to giue passe to the trench-royal to the lowest part so I place one other Bastard fluce more which receiues the counter-trench and many times both royall and counter-trenches meete against that sluce which to his power doth yeeld as much profit as any in all my workes If your grounds at any time be so hard frozen as the hardnesse thereof is like to continue such a snow may happen vpon your frozen grounds as may remaine thereon so long as the extremity of wether indures or so long as you and your cattell will be weary off which to preuent let downe your sluces drowne the frozen grounds when the snow begins to fall so shall you release the grasse being bound and spend the snowe which threatens your preiudice and free your grounds that all kinde of cattle Sheepe especially may haue sufficient sustenance therein My trench royall from the beginning to the end is three miles long it runnes so precisely on the plimme or leuell that euery fifth yeare I am driuen to cleanse the channell such store of muddy-substance is forc'd by my first sluce therein As the Riuer Nilus drownes Aegips from the Abissine Mountaines enriching the couutrey to the wonder of the world so doth the muddy flouds from the vpper part of the Golden Valley as from a Golden Mountaine or Fountaine improoue my estate beyond beleefe It 's not vnknowne to my neighbourhood my demeasnes at New-court was set and forsaken at forty pound by year besides my Parke I set it so my selfe let any man that hath an vpright iudgment and equall eyes in his head view and reuiew it hee will say it will yeeld within three yeares three hundreth pounds yearely besides my Parke Many haue said to me no other mans grounds lie so conuenient to drowne as mine at New-court I answred them yes for three other liuings of mine affoord the like aduantage for drowning The Vale is but seauen mile in length and not a mile ouer any where Yet there be diuerse Gentlemen therein whose liuings might bee bettered some a hundred some two hundred pounds yearly amongst the rest there 's one that dwells on my right hand the Riuer deuides our demeasnes who might stock his grounds with stankes trenches lists bastard-sluces and such inuentions as the ground requires being all flat-bottom and I truly take it he may drowne foure hundred Acres with lesse charge tenn times then mine not hauing one Maine-Weare or Sluce to rayse For those I haue planted serues for both grounds but whether it be his ignorance in not vnderstanding or negligence in forbearing I know not but I am sure it 's out of his way an hundred pounds a yeare There is another Gentleman who dwells on my left hand makes shew of vnderstanding it yet are his grounds ouer-howed with the like neglect but seeming to excuse it by some vnexpected troubles which indeed hee indured that his weighty occasions would not giue him leaue to vnder-take nor suffer his seruants to attend it hee hauing in the eye of his house a hundred Acres of errable land worth not aboue three shillings an Acre which amounts but to fifteene pound a yeare Yet I made him this offer if he would bee pleased to make it plaine as plaine might bee for foure yeares I would giue him fifteene pound a yeare beeing the true valew of his land and after the end of the foure yeares I would take it for one and twenty yeelding him a hundred pounds a yeare the charge wholy mine in raising sluces stankes trenches and what else so-euer so during the foure yeares hee should receiue fifteene pound a yeare and euer after a hundred pound yearely to him and his heires for euer I did not require any thing vntill the foure yeares were expired and then my demaund was but three hundred pound The yeare following one hundred came in vnto him againe the second an other hundred the third he receiued another so in 3. yeares he receiued his three hundred pound He offered me nothing and hee hath done nothing so this is but an accusation for negligence setting it forth in as friendly manner as I may O! if the Lord of a Mannor did but know what an offence it is to plant an vnder-shot-mil vpon a Riuer where the scituation of the soile affords drownings He were better to put his wits aworke to make VVindmils in plain ground if hee would consider what hee looseth by it For example my right-hand-neighbour hauing such a Mill as I speake off worth some tenne pound by yeare and four hundred Acres of excellent ground to handle hee forbeares his Winter and Sommer drowning to giue satisfaction to this vnsatisfiable glutton the Vnder-shot-mil where in the trunesse of husbandry hee should dayly drowne three hundred Acres for euer As the Sun shines euer once a day in Alexandria by reason whereof the Land yeelds sweete increase so might he say he dwelt daily in the Land of Canaan which euer flowes with Milke and Hony And as the greatnesse of the Turke obscures the Persian-glory or as the Hungarian forces are the only Obstacle hindering the Turkes descending to the conquest of the Christian Kingdomes so should his stankes or Damms incounter the downe-fall of the Muddy flouds from the Mountaines of great Cadwalleder Thus much to incourage my neighbour for the vndertaking of Water-workes My Trench-royall beeing three miles long and running plimm or leuel forward and backward I plant diuers Bastard-sluces crosse the Trench-royall for Winter and Sommer drowning If any man will bee so phantasticall as to carry his wife leuell by water to her Dairy or build Barnes and Cattell-houses ouer the same for ease of his Oxen I refer my selfe to his consideration whether it be not possible the Trench royall beeing tenne foote broad and foure foote deepe Likewise if by Boate you will carry Compost Corne Hey Wood Stone Milke or any other Prouision it s referred to your like consideration I made two litle Ones for the carriage of earth which I found to doe mee such seruice as I know two Teames in a day could not counteruaile any of them Their burden beeing but two load a peece three seruants commaunded
them both in their charging and discharging their length being twenty foot the breadth but three Had I a Boate with a Keele fiue or six thirty foot long and nine foot broad I would carry seauen or eight load of Compost at a time Corne in Sheaues would conueniently bee carried but how many load of Hay at a time I can but gesse You must at al times examine how your Trench royall is stored with muddy-substance it beeing furnished by the main Riuer euery flood euery second or third yeare it riseth in the bottom 2. foot at the least especially for a mile or two comming in at the mouth of the Trench it doth fil the fore-part of the same vnles you cleanse those parts you cannot receiue so much water by 10. foot broad and 2-foot deepe the want whereof you shall find in your lower grounds As the finest husband-mē be most prouident and studious to make their profit answer their labor so let not the charge of clensing the Trench-royall be greeuous vnto you in respect the recompence shall much more then the greatest vsury outgo your laying out In the yeare 1601. I was forced to cleanse my trench-royall being almost fil'd to the leuill of the Banke and for the excellency of the substance therein conteyned all the dung-hils in the countrey can witnesse it was their very quintessence the quantity thereof may be estimated by the breadth and depth and I know fiue hundred honest Yeomen Husbandmen and Laborers would say the Substance would ouer-counteruaile the charge beeing imployed for Wheat Onyons Cabiges Carets or any other Rootes agreeing with the nature of that Residence of the Trenches Which Muddy substance beeing put on the one side of your Trench-royall you may by Boat carry to your wheat-land to your Garden or to better any other barren ground that yeeldes no profit For I will drowne Winter and Sommer at my pleasure a thousand Acres of Medow I will sustaine no inconuenience at any time vnlesse the negligence of my seruants suffer the Sluces to be vpp when they should be downe or some enuious lewd or malitious person in the night-time loose them downe of purpose to harme me No Subiect in the Kingdome can certainly say hee hath the like Groundes vnlesse he daily drowne as I doe And for these thousand Acres I shall bee able to Mowe them twise a yeare If I please The rush the Mosse the boult the hard head and many other vnprofitable wedes craues mercy at my handes for their life in respect of their former offences with protestation neuer to trouble the ground againe I doe not see why the cowslip should haue more fauour then the rest vnlesse it bee to countenance the May-pole I haue not done all I can doe I can Graze my mowing Meades vntill the first of Maie I would see who can doe the like without the hazard of his Hay that Sommer vnlesse hee follow my example It may bee sayd by some among them-selues that you neighbour and I may doe the like But then that You and I must liue by the Riuers of Leadon Dowbanke Frommey or in the Land of Lombardy where grasse groweth apparantly twise a day Those young Gentlemen that haue scarce liuing ynough to maintaine them-selues in the misery of this Age should if they did well learne to leuell and quarter a ground then sell that little they haue and afterwards examine the Records in the custody of the Clarke of the Statutes there shall they finde that Clarke to haue more Clyents in my conscience then any Councellor in the Kingdome And for mine owne part without vaine-glory bee it said I am as well knowne in that Office as a better man Thus by taking paines following the Ordinaries and being acquainted with the Vnder-Sheriffs Atourneies of euery County those Gentlemen for a quart of Canauary-Wine wil giue you a Kallender of all the Land-lords that are before-hand with the World In which if they deale not iniuriously with you you shal find my name This done examine the Riuers Brookes Fountaines and Springs in euery County whether they bee imployed or no. If they run idle make your match in the countrey you best like off I assure you you shall find more Land to be sold vtterly neglected while the water runnes at wast then a thousand such young Gentlemen I speake off will buy I do aduise all men that wil be Vnder-takers in this Husbandry to bee perfect in the true Suruey of the number of Acres that may be drowned and that they make choyce as neare as they can of errable-land which commonly exceedes not two or three shillinges an Acre yearly Old Pasture couered with mosse that nature hath forsaken and Medow-ground if there bee any that takes more pride in the company of the Cowslipp then the gilt-cupp which carrieth the garland from the rest And for your comfort bee this spoken if in the laying out of fiue hundred pound at the end of foure yeares you make it not two or three thousand pound your choyce is bad and lucke worse During those forty yeares you cannot receiue lesse then the rate you buy it att which is twenty yeares purchase or as you can agree And so from fiue hundred to a thousand two three or as much as your estate will stretch too the more the better If you finde difficulty in my discourse any Easter or Michell-masse Tearme you shall finde me in the house of a true Brittaine maister VVotton a Scriuener in Fleet-street ouer against Saint Dunstans Church And for a Supper at Iohn Gents you shall haue your Belly-full of Water-workes For my Drownings my name hath beene so scandalliz'd in open Ordinary by a Westerne Gentleman who since the Kings Maiesties comming is become a Knight of account but rash censure deserues little reckoning in mine account Many men spake diuersly of my labours for a long time because the Honourable Courts as they thought had brought mee to Beggers-bay and failing in the true execution of my workes in not placing a Planke of foure inches thicke and twenty inches broad vnder the maine Syll to preuent the water from vndermining the same and withall fayling to lay my Groundes by the indiscretion of my Seruants leuell or plaine and not vnderstanding of what strength my Stanks should be to with stand the weight of the VVater that playes against them what alowance to giue each Stanke in his Foundation and forbearing the running of my Trench-Royal to the end of his Course for many yeares and not thinking Stankes to bee necessary for the commaunding of Grounds disoebeying my desire and withall lately running Counter-Trenches which next the Trench-royall haue place aboue any which were not drempt off before many sluces and for many yeares were forborne in places most conuenient and much profit lost thereby my speculation hauing continuance in practise aboue twenty yeares But were it now to beginne againe I would performe it
poysoned the water or made it so sick as it was not able to endure the ground As a scudding shewer of raine doth raise vpon a dung-hill-poole great bubbles like an Oxe-eye by falling of the drops thereon or as water in a pott by the heate of the fire doth labour and shew distemper so did that water-worke play and bubble on the face of the ground shewing for a quarter of an houre nothing but discontent The ground being qualified the grasse did not instantly grow as at other times being orderly fedd the coullour being changed the grasse standing at the point of death being in that case as a sicke pacient hauing taken a purgation who must haue a time of recouery so did the grasse for diuerse dayes shew nothing but sorrow heauinesse and all discomfort It beeing once made yellow by the heate of the Sunne and recouered of the Yellow-Iaundies although the comfort of the water put life into it yet during the season it had neuer his perfect complection againe the point euer carrying a shew of poysoning which error with Gods helpe I will neuer committ hereafter Let all men drowne before they Mowe and after Mowing your grasse will not bee yellow but as greene as a Leeke You must alwayes keepe your grounds in a true temper they must neuer be too wet in the Winter but when you drowne nor too drye in the Summer hauing water enough I had almost forgotten this before you raise your stankes bee sure to cleare your grounds from Moles or Wantes water- they bee dangerous creatures like a Vsurer that 's hardly gotten out of a mans land wherein hee hath gotten footing if they haue possession in a stanke You know when all other grounds be drownd some part of the stanke will bee free they will not faile to rend and teare your stanke like Rabbets in a sandy soile I protest two or three Wants in my stanke-royall was out of my waye twenty pound a yeare for many yeares I put a fumbling fellowe to attend their walkes who not beeing cunning enough to destroy them vtterly plagued me vntil I hapned vpon a good worke-man who hath cleared my stankes my brauing-trench And were it not for my brauing-trench and my stankes I should neuer need the vse of a Want-killer because I do so oft drowne in Winter-time which often drowning doth force them to forsake the soile I would desire no better pastime then the hunting of a Wante in a plaine Meade My brauing-trench being close by the maine Riuer my trench-royall lying on the height of the ground my seruant seeing her cast if neare the trench-royall hee commands water into a descending trench and doth force her on the face of the ground with much submission praying her Clergie her offence being Burglary in breaking my stankes although she were the first meanes that occasioned all these vnder-takings yet I could not bee drawne to yeeld her a pardon had she wrought in any other part of my grounds I had not taken it so grieuously but in spoyling my fundamentall parts with working cleane through my stankes and forcing them by the extremitie of the water altogether doune she was vncapable of pardon If he that hath an ouer-shoote-Mill would enter into an account with him-selfe whether it were more profitable for him Winter and Summer to drowne grounds or to grind corne it would put him to a pussle I know many men that haue Mills who for a desire to gaine a peck of corne a daye and many dayes failes to get any so that by a true computation in the whole yeare the Mill may bee worth some foure or fiue pound and in drowning foure or fiue acres of barren ground I will raise a farre greater benefitt But because he wil giue reputation vnto his demeasnes or information on the marriage of his sonne that hee hath such a Mill hee had rather suffer muddy Flouds in the VVinter and cleare VVaters in Sommer to breake their limbs on his Mill wheeles then exercise his wits by Drowning to attaine a world of wealth It is grone to a kinde of prouerbiall speech in the Golden-Vaile that hee that doth drowne is a good Husband hee that may and wil not is figured out with the sillable Fu. I know I haue as good an Ouer-shot-mill for VVater ynough as this Kingdome yeeldes yet rather then I would grinde my owne Corne at a floud-time or in my drowning times in Sommer I would carry it tenne mile off to be ground though the Miller told the one halfe Beeing requested by many Gentlemen of the best quality to putt these VVater-workes in Print I praied those ingenious Gentlemen Sergeant Louell and maister Coulthurst to speake what they thought concerning the same They both vnder their handes by way of subscription said it would bee very profitable to the Kingdome to be put in execution being of late a common thing in Deuonshire but not in so ample manner For drayning of groundes Maister Louell is Serieant-Maior of the same yet I le say as the meane Counsellor saith to the Serieant at Law vnder fauour maister Serieant I le declare what I didde in your Element of Drayning beeing but Cousin-Germaine remoued to mine of Drowning A Ring of ground some foure-score Acres scituate stirrope-wise a Brook in the vpper-part crossing the same in the smaller point of his extent there running from Adams dayes in likely-hood the greater quantity of the ground from the Creation neuer sound but stain'd with the Boult the Rush a Quagmire coherent with many other Improfitables neuer mowed nor grazed in the driest daies but knee deepe in water It lay at the gaze for fiue thousand six-hundred and six yeares and by general opinion it stood in state of damnation as if it hadde beene curs'd like Mare-mortuum for the sin of Sodom When I hadde deuided my sounde Groundes from those infected with leprosie with as many maister-trenches as were neeedful to conduct my Drayning Sucking Working Searching-trenches into the maister-trenches hauing but two foote descent to procure a passage all this beeing performed that spungy bogg draind dryed and made fitt for any vse I drew the Brooke which crossed the vpper point of the Ground downe into the belly of the bogg to make priuy search in euery particuler Trench what filth fell therein Liuery and Season taken Atornement of Tennants Fealty with all other Ceremonies that Littelton layes downe to raise Vses Cusstomes or Estates of Inheritance with payment of pence and the strongest Fortifications my skill could afford for an euerlasting continuance and cleare keeping of the Drayning Sucking Working and searching Trenches I protest I had almost forgotten this insuing most necessary Inuention I was in the Parish of Peter-Church to runne a Trench-royall some mile on the plimm The Countrey-people made themselues beleeue it would cost mee a thousand Markes Before I ran any part of my Trench I planted my Sluces crosse the Riuer at such time
as my Sluces were downe the Water did rise to the leuell of the Greene-sward the Sluces beeing vppe the Water suncke vnto his ordinary course againe So hadde I the commaund of the Sluces to ryse and sinke the Water at my pleasure Hauing leuelled the Trench I put eight Labourers to worke therein who during the whole day wrought but one Pearch which was but sixe foote broad and three foot deep To whome I said when I perceiued how little they had done in a day I see now it 's true as the Country saith It will cost me a thousand Markes ere I effect this VVorke if it go no better forward They said vnto me they did their best indeauor But after they had taken some halfe a foot of the greene sward or face of the ground away they could not force their spades or spittels one inch deepe the hardnesse of the Earth was such and wish'd mee to giue ouer that vnder-taking It was some-what before Michelmas the Winter-raine not hauing suppled or mollified the ground any whit at al I commanded them to attend their labour on the morrow then did I cause them to run forty pearches in length six foot broad but halfe a foot deepe which halfe-foote deepe the spades did easily enter And so for that day I ended with them Then they demaunded what imployment I would putt them to the next morrow I bad them good night and willed them to bee there very early in the morning After they were gon I caus'd my man to let downe the sluces and raise the VVater to the height thereof and Sodainly the Trench flowing it entred with such puissance as if it would haue dissolued the very Bowels of the Ground Then early before their comming my Seruant tooke vp the Sluces sunke the VVater and gaue it the liberty of the maine Riuer that they the next day easily forced their spades two foote deepe and more And in this manner with the water I suppled the Trench from the beginning to the end saued thereby a hundred pound at least Many worthy and expert men haue written of the breeding of Cattell whose indeauours I much reuerence and referre them to bee commended by Posterity Yet will I venter to lay downe mine experience in the younger sort for the Falling VVeaning and Raising of Calues which breefly is this Those Calues you meane to breed a month before they fall lett your Cow or Kine bee well fed with good Hay that she or they may be the better able to bee deliuered of them and to yeeld plenty of Milke Vppon their first Caluing suffer them not to haue too much milke for three or foure dayes For in ouer-sucking them-selues they will bee so glutted with the plenty and newnesse of it that nature in them will bee ouercome be subiect to Gillying or Scowring which wil hinder them for a long time VVhen they bee fiue or sixe dayes old let them sucke as much as they can When they come to bee a month old prouide a Cratch for fine Hay and a Trough for cleane Water although you haue no meaning that they shall sustaine them-selues thereby but to prepare and acquaint them in a wanton manner to learne to eate Hay and drinke VVater Dayly they will bee nibling with the Hay and VVater as desirous as some idle persons bee of Tobaco and Ale VVhen they bee eight weekes old take away the Milke of one Teat from your Calfe in milking your Cow before the Calfe bee suffered to sucke the want of which Teate for hunger and thirst will prouoke both your Calfe to eate Hay and drinke VVater Continue him so for foure dayes then take away or milke one other Teate from your Calfe as aforesaid which is halfe the Milke so will you force your Calfe to a greater desire of Hay and VVater After this take away the milk of another Teate within foure daies after and so after that take away all Handling the matter in this manner your Calfe will neuer mourne for want of Milke or losse of Damme but will cheerfully fall to eating of Hay and Drinking of water immediatly Let your Seruants be very carefull to litter them with cleane Straw dayly and keepe them sweete with good Hay and let them neuer want cleare water If you haue good scope of House-roome lett them run and play their fils VVhen you purpose to turne them to grasse keepe them in the House vppon Hay and VVater vntill Mid-may If you turne them out as the most do in Aprill you vndoe them the nights being cold the grounds cold the grasse weake and raw they neuer acquainted with the ayre will mislike with your vnkinde dealing in token whereof the heyre will turne and their bellies loose scowre or gilly that they neuer will be themselues because the Sun hath not wrought sufficiently with heate to comfort the ground that should feed and comfort them VVhen they haue beene some month in your best Meads in Mid-may and after recouered their strength put them into some higher Groundes where there is Grasse water and shadow ynough Lett them rest there vntill Bartholomew then put them ouer into your After-maths before the time of the yeare growes cold and then it wil so puffe them with pride that al the winter following they wil scorn the malice of the hardnesse of the Season if they may haue their fills of Hay and fogg with a Houell or House in the extreamest cold daies to shelter them The first yeare beeing spent euery man knowes how to handle them If you will haue them principall cattell giue them hay ynough the second Winter But what a Calfe am I to teach Countreymen to breed Calues by Art when they good Husbands breed them fast ynough by Nature I therefore bequeath this Doctrine to Gentlemen that can better tell how to breed a Hound then a Calfe and referre what else might be spoken to the discretion of the experienced Thus haue I toucht what I handle with as much breuity as I could ommitting nothing that may giue euidence on the behalfe of those Perticulers which will fall out to bee as true in effect as in apparance when euer they are put to their strictest Triall THerefore now nothing remaines more to be said but to intreat thee friendly Reader to beare with my merry-sorry Stile if therin any where I haue not obserued a precise scholler-like Decorum for Mars his Vniuersity wherein sometime I haue bene matriculated and proceeded to some degrees of command according to my study and time spent therein affoords no rules of speaking in Print yet Soldiers in their Element best speake in Print and can expresse what else lies in the compasse of their spacious conceits like men of Wit Arte and Courage which they that speake altogether by the Booke oft faile to performe But howsoeuer as this Worke now finished is published for thy profit and exprest in such manner as I thought would
yeeld thee most pleasure so thou wilt accept it kindly and thereby giue me cause to be euer studious of thy benefit Principally though lastly I am humbly to intreate you my good Lord of Pembrooke to looke on my plainenesse and winke at my boldnesse the first proceeding from my Nature the last from my Education Yet what is here bluntly expressed was first of all sharply conceiued with much whetting of Witt and no lesse filing of Inuention But what it is it is all Yours as he is that will no longer bee then he remaines Your Lordships euen beyond his vttermost Rowland Vaughan Those that are desirous to see a Mill sawing Timber there shall their desires bee fully satisfied seeing a Mill by a Water-course keepe a dozen Sawes on worke together As also by the like streame of water a dozen Spitts or Broches turned at once Which turning turnes all Turn-spit Iacks out of couÌ„tenance though they be neuer so sawcie and their tongues runne on Wheeles yet this Water-worke workes them out of all fauour with the Cooke that loues to doe much with little labour whom the Iacks distemper which often happens soone makes hott as a Tost because like a Cricket he liues euer about Fyre The Conclusion THus runnes our water-Water-workes vnto this end That all that worke by them by them may play For if they mossy-Mossy-grounds by them amend For paines and pleasures then they 'l freely pay This WORKE consists not like some idle Tracts In shew alone or Speculation No this is practicall faire shewes in Acts To make the poor'st the richest Nation Then chiefly aym'd I not at publick-good I would not thus divulge my priuate skill But bee'ng free-borne my Natur 's like my Blood Which would do good to all and no man ill Then All I hope or of that All the best Will wish me well as for the rest I rest Theirs as they giue me cause Rowland Vaughan FINIS In praise of the Worke and Author TO praise a worke of such a worth as this That shews the way t' inrich both earth man Deserues a witt that rare and excellent is And all to short excell in what it can The Author and his worke do merit fame VVith-out the glory of a Poets name Anthony Dauies a Noahs floud b The Inundation caused by the boiling vp of the sea in Munmouth and Glamorgan shire the yeare 1607. a Fevv Hadlands take pleasure to behold the lands they had b Trenches by which his workes are affected c By equiuocation it may bee taken for Infants as wel as Barnes Barne being the name of Infant in some places of England a Sine Cerere Baccho friget Venus b The Sunne exhaling all radicall moysture from thence by the wounds or chaps which are made by summers heate a The teares of sinners are the wine of Angels b Ars dominabitur astris c Or cleare Mirrour d From the obseruation whereof proceeded the rest of his workes as in this his booke more at large is expressed a In dry Summers the Riuers grovv lowest b When the Bankes are châ—pt they cleeuing fall by mammocks into the Riuer c Gaines take away the thought of Paines Wealth helps Vertue in her operations whose hands were else bound from ouert action b All gauly too dry grounds rebell against nature and mens profit a The Countries good a Preacher Curate for daily seruice b Any way mischanc't in their Bodies So that they cannot work c 2. Sam. 7.2.16 a What is before expressed b Like Mars Iupiter and Saturne a Vines b Geese by reason of their vigilancy kept the Pagan Gods in the Romaine Capitoll Good Grasse out of ill ground a Descended from his Ancestors a Custome is a great Lord of command b In these seueral battels the Vaughans mine Ancestors followed yours a The richest Countrey breeds the idlest therefore the poorest people How the poore of the country dispose of the seasons of the yeare The Beggers good husbandry of my countrey The meanes to amend the Countries misery The first worke is the Mill. The vse of the dyning-roome Officers Trades a Twenty broad loomes imploide for fine cloth b Two thousand imploide in the vnderbusinesse of the Common-wealth c The Golden Valley is the Paradise of al the parts beyond Seuern The commerce of the Company But one of each Trade A famous preacher shall be maintaind Three speciall vertues to withstand the Flesh the world and the Deuill Policy in wordly businesses preuailes more then Piety a A most vnholy-holy kind of Vsury a Swift reading an enemy to like vnderstanding a Chappell built and a Curate maintained Twenty foure Parishes in Webtre Hundred and not one able to maintaine a Preaching Minister Beginning is halfe the whole a Vserers as Iewes by their trade a Counter in the Poultry a Strange Paradox yet true if a mans increase of estate tends to his ease Pacience perforce A good offer of a good heart Bristoll better serued with Sacks then Gascoine wine It is manly to erre beastly to continue in error The priuate is more respected then the publike weale of men priuate Alluding to that in maister Fox his Acts and Monuments A Trinity of Ladies able to worke miracles An assault towards against Chepstow-bridge by Salmons It is most strange and yet most true a Behead them like Traytors c That of Tyron b Time is now most opportune a A gainfull end of painefull reading b Feare of priuate harme makes publike hatred often to arise from long-laid rest The Trench-royall is a Cesterne that serues al offices in a Noblemans house To speake what we know not is to thinke what we should not This I mince thus for ill digesting stomacks A iust excuse What benefit can be raised Flix The first cause that the work was vndertaken For no simple fee. Ignorants praise good endings but doubt or dispraise their beginnings a Holy fraud is the falsest fraud As good no running as running for no good a At what time with what water how long you ought to downe your Grounds a Looke well to the leuelling of the grounds that are to be drowned In the beginning of March cleere your grounds from cold cleare-water The best husbands or husband men How profitable to drowne a little before mowing Signes of well seasoned grounds A fault to drowne some and to leaue some of the same ground vndrowned You must double drown in the summer if there bee cause VVants will not worke in water nor where it soakes The Offiers of the Brauing Trench How to gouerne and lead the Water from your brauing Trench ouer your grounds How to make your Stanks or Damms Water works be most chargeable to the Ignorant Your Trench must be made great or small according to the quantity of ground you are to drown Six-score Acres may be drownd in three houres The Rush will be raised by ouer-much moisture Sharp censures made me fal blountly to my workes The seuerall offices of the sluces what a trench royall is What a counter trench is What a topping and brauing trench is What the winter and summer trench is What double and treble trenches require What the trauersing-trenche is What the euerlasting-trench doth Wherefore the Weares or sluces are planted What is to be done in hard Frosts and great snowe The Golden Valley is but seauen miles in length and one mile broad A liberall offer refused which if takeÌ„ had benefited the offerer more then the offered The length of the Trench Royall The breadth and depth of the Trench-royall The good seruice of a Boat In Lumbardy grasse growes apparantly twice a day being cut twice a day (a) Yronicé Nota. Twenty yeares practise in these VVorkes Muddy flouds often happen in Summer-time Note the profit of drownings Note this aduice The nevv names of the Meades and Pastures Eye-pleasers are often liers The quality of ground distempered with heate Moles are mischieuous vermin in or about such water-water-works Drowning more profitable then Mills Drayning of Grounds cousine-Germain to Drowning Liuery Season taken by the Brooke A necessary Inuention for suppling hard Groundes for easinesse of Trenching Countrymens Coniectures ar not alwaies Oraclces A notable sodaine effect of Water on hard ground vneasie to bee Trenched The manner of breeding Calues How to learne them to eat Hay drinke VVater What you must do when you purpose to turne them to Grasse Husbandmen breeds Calues by Nature