Boke of husbandry HEre begyneth a treatyse of husbondry whiche mayster Groshede sōtyme bysshop of Lyncoln made translated it out of frensshe in to Englysshe whiche techeth all maner of men to gouerne theyr londes tenementes and demenes ordynatly as the chapytres euydently is shewed ¶ The.i. chapytre telleth how ye shall spende your good and extende youre londes ¶ The. ii chapytre telleth how youre londe shall be mesured and how many perches maketh an acre how many acres maketh a yerde of londe and how many yerdes maketh an hyde of londe and how many hydes maketh a knyghtes fee. ¶ The. iii chapytre telleth how many acres of londe y t a plough may tele in a yere ¶ The. iiii chapytre telleth whether a plough of oxen or a plough of hors many tele more londe in a yere and whiche is more costly ¶ The.v. chapytre telleth in what season ye shall begynne to falowe all maner of londes ¶ The. vi chapytre telleth how ye shall lay youre londe at sede tyme. ¶ The. vii chapytre telleth how your londe shall be sowen in all seasons ¶ The. viii chapytre telleth how ye shall chaunge your sede and nourysshe youre stubble ¶ The. ix chapytre telleth how ye shall nourysshe youre dounge and wede youre corne and how it shall be mesured out of the barne and how moche an acre shall yelde agayn more than your sede yf ye sholde haue wynnynge therby ¶ The.x. chapytre ielleth how ye shall chaunge all maner of catell in season ¶ The. xi chapytre telleth how ye shall chaūge youre werke bestes and wene youre calues and what prouffy te ye shall haue of youre kyne and vayll to butter and chese ¶ The. xii chapytre telleth howe ye sholde nourysshe youre swyne and youre pygges ¶ The. xiii chapytre telleth how ye shal nourysshe your shepe and dyuers medycynes for theym ¶ The. xiiii chapytre telleth what profytes ye shal haue of youre ghees and hennes ¶ The. xv chapytre telleth how ye shall bye and selle preue youre weyghtes ¶ The. xvi chapytre telleth how ye shall take a compte of youre balyf ones a yere ¶ The.i. chapytre THe fader in his olde age sayth to his sone sonelyue wysely and dyscretly atter god and the worlde and thynke on the harde chaunge of fortune how by lytell and lytell it atteyneth to ryches and by lytell lytell descendeth to pouerte and wretchydnes ¶ And therfore I coūseyll you to ordeyne youre lyuynge after thextent of youre lyuclode and not more then ye may dyspende in a yere by youre lyuelode ¶ And yf ye may profyte make youre londe better by wynnge or by store of catell or ony other profytynge more than thextent of youre lyuelode amounteth as moche it is in value thextent kepte and dyspende it not For yf youre catell deye or youre corne fayle it maye stande you in good stede For and yf ye despende the value of youre lyuelode in one yere and mysauenture fall vpon you ye haue no recouer by youre profytes ¶ For the wyse man sayth He that profyted to other men oftymes he wasteth his owne For it is often seen that many men haue both londes and tenemētes can not lyue theron by cause that they lyue withoute ordynaunce and purueaunce made in due season ¶ And for they haue spende more than theyr lyuelode may susteyn and than can none other shyfte but fro y e honde to the mouthe and so they fall in to pouerte and wretchydnes And therfore be wyse in youre demenynge desyre none of your neyghbours goodes wrongfully and kepe youre owne wysely so that by reson no man may repreue you ne youre werkes And y e good that god hath lente you dyspose it well in gyftes and despenses ¶ And ye shal knowe foure profytable thynges for you The fyrst is whan ye gyue and to whome The seconde is yf ye gyue or make ony dyspenses loke that it be done with good wyll and that it shall be profytable For yf ye gyue it agaynst youre wyll ye lese as moche as ye gyue or dyspende The thyrde is loste that ye gyue to hȳ that may bothe further you hynder you The fourth is loke ye gyue neyther to moche ne to lytell but after that the persone be that ye gyue it to and after youre mater be moche or lytell and after that ye haue to do with y e persone ¶ Also lete youre londes be extendyd by wyse men sworn and se what euery perçell there of is worth by the yere more than thextente as well in maners as gardyns and closses and after warde loke how many actes be in youre closses se what an acre therof is worth by yere ¶ And se how many acres of erable londe ye haue and what an acre is worth by yere of all other londes medowes and pasture in lyke wyse and thus may ye knowe what ye may dyspende in a yere wtout waste or dystruccyon of free tenementes accordynge how moche euery man holdeth of you by what seruyce Also what mylles fysshȳges be worth ye haue ony within your lordshyp yerely ouer thextent of all maner of cotages rentes seruyce customes in lyke wyse ¶ Or ony other thynge wherby ony profyte to you yerely may aryse loke how moche shall competently sowe an acre of londe of eche maner of granes loke how moche store ye may kepe vpon euerych of youre maners this knowen than se thextent of youre lyuelode And ye shall knowe how moche youre balyf shall answere you yerely by the approuemētes ouer extent thus ye shall knowe what the value yerely is of youre lyuelode and there vpon to rule expēses wysely loke ye take y e rekenynge of youre balyf yerely in y e moneth of Iuyn how many quarters of corne is sowen vpon youre demene londes than loke youre extent go in to y e felde therwith take a few of euery pyece of londe that is sowen and perauenture ye shall fynde more sowen than he gyueth a compte of whiche he holdeth to his owne behoue Or ellys perauenture ye shall fynde more corne sowen than nedeth And thus ye shall knowe whether youre balyf be profytable for you or not ¶ And yf ye wyll ye may departe youre londes in thre partes The fyrste to be sowen with wynter corne The seconde parte to be sowen with lenten sede as w t otes pesyn other suche granes And y e thyrde to be falowed somer layde Also ye may departe youre londe in two partes The fyrste parte to be sowen with wynter corne and lenten sede The seconde parte be falowed and somer layde ¶ Also a plough shall tell viii score or ix score acres of londe a yere than lay youre extent and see how many acres of londe ye haue and commaunde youre balyf to kepe this maner gydynge of tythe ¶ The. ii chapytre IT is to wete that thre
barly cornes take oute of y e myddes of the eere maketh an ynche and. xii ynches maketh a fote And. xvi fote and an halfe maketh a perche and. xi perches in length and. iiii in brede maketh an acre of londe and. iiii maketh a yerde of londe and. v. yerdes maketh an hyde of londe and. vii hydes maketh a knyghtes fee. ¶ The. iii chapytre SOme men say y t a plough may not tele viii score or ix score acres of londe a yere But I shall preue it by good reason y t a plough may do it ¶ For ye shall vnd̄stonde that an acre of londe is in msure xl perches in lengthe and. iiii in brede and the mesure of a perche is xvi fote an halfe ¶ And so y e brede of an acre of londe is lxvi fote and so ye go with youre plough xxxiii tymes vp and doune the londe se the fyrst forowe be a fote eche of the other be in lyke quantyte than is an acre cred And whan the forowe is as strayte as it may be than is it xxxvi tymes vp doune the londe though it be a large acre And the plough be neuer so feble atte moste ye haue gone but. lxxii tymes vp doune y e londe whiche is but. v. myle way ¶ Now truly the hors or oxe is feble that frome the morowe maye not go softely iii. myle frome home and come agayn by none ¶ And by this other reason ye vndstonde that there be lii wekes in in the yere take viii wekes for holy days other lettynges there remaneth behynde xliiii to werke in the se. xliiii wekes ben CC. lx dayes besyde sondayes ¶ Also a plough shall ere thryes in the yere y t is to say in the wynter in lenten and in leke sede tyme. ¶ In wynter a plough shall ere iii. rodes and an halfe a daye And on eche other seasons an acre on the day at the lest ¶ Now knowe ye whether it maye be done or not but by cause plough men carters other fayne and werke not truly ¶ It is behouefull y t men fynde a remedy agaynst theyr seruauntes And therfore it is necessary that the balyfor some of the lordes offycers be with them the fyrste daye of doynge folowynge and so wynge to se yf they do theyr werkes truly let theym answer you as moche werke as they dyde the fyrste daye ¶ Also it is necessarye that youre balyf ouer se youre werke men ones in a daye to wete yf they do theyr werke truly as they ought to do and yf ye fynde theym contrary he shall chastyse theym resonable therfore and by dyscrecyon ¶ The. iiii chapytre THe plough of oxen is better than the plough of hors but yf it be vpon stony grounde y e whiche greueth fore the oxen in theyr fete ¶ And y e plough of hors is more costly than y e plough of oxen yet shal your plough of oxen doo as moche werke in a yere as youre plough of hors though ye dryue your hors faster than ye do your oxen yet in what groūde so euer it be youre plough of oxen yf ye tele your londe wel euenly they shal do as moche werke one daye with a nother as your plough of hors the groūde be tough your oxen shall werke where youre hors shall shall stande styll ¶ And yf ye wyll knowe how moche the one is costlyer than y e other I shal teche you It is a costume y t bestes y t go to the plough shall werke from y e feste of saynt Luke vnto the fest of saynt Elene in Maye that is to saye xxv wekes and yf youre hors sholde be kepte in a good plyght to werke he muste haue dayly the syxt parte of a bushel of otes pryce ob in gresse in somer season xii d. And euery weke that he standeth at drye mete one with an other ob in strawe for lytter ¶ And in shoȳge as often as he is shodde on all foure fete iiii d at the leste ¶ The somme of his expenses in the yere is ix s.vi.d.ob besyde hay and chafe and other thynges ¶ And as for the oxe ye maye kepe hym in good plyght dayly to doo his Journey gyuynge hym euery weke thre oten sheues pryce i.d. by cause x. oten sheues yelde abusshell of otes yf they be made by the extent and in somer season xii d in gresse ¶ The somme of his expenses by the yere is iii. S i. d. besyde strawe and chafe ¶ And yf a hors be ouerset and brought downe with labour it is aduenture euer he recouer it And yf your oxe be ouersette and brought doune with labour ye shall for xii d. in somer season haue hym so pastured that he shal be stronge ynough to do your werke or elles he shall be so fatte that ye may selle hym for as moche moneye as he coste you ¶ The.v. chapytre IN Apryll is good season to falowe londe yf it be well broken before the plough For in that season is neyther to wete ne to dry but he that hath moche to doo may not abyde all the good seasons of the yere Neuertheles whan so euer ye ere yf it be in good soyle ere depe with a square forowe so that some of y e good londe may reste And yf your londe lye in feble soylery ere not depe but falowe it clenly so y t y e londe be neyther couered ne vncouered ¶ And at the seconde falowe ere not to depe but so as ye maye dystroy thystelles and other wedes ¶ For yf youre londe lye marras or watry grounde and it be to depe at y e seconde falowe whiche is to saye youre plough shall not come to no harde grounde but go shotynge all in myre ¶ And yf youre plough go an ynche deper in sede tyme thenne it dyde all the seconde falowe it shall fynde good grounde and elles the tylthe of y e myre and make good erynge ¶ The. vi chapytre AT y e sowynge of your sede lay your lōde narowe togyder so y t your sede may falle euen vpō y e londe For yf youre londe be wyde a sonder it shall cause grete hurte For the londe sowen the harowe shall caste the corne in holles and vayles that ben betwene the gates of the plough so that the corne that is one the rydge shall be vncouered cause lytell or noughte to growe vpon the londe ¶ And yf ye wyll preue it whā your corne is growe out of the erthe go to the hede of your londe loke towarde y e other ende ye shal se whether that I say soth or nay ¶ And yf ye sowe your londe vnder the forowe let it be ered leyde small nere to gyder so y t y e rydge of londe bytwene the forowes be narowe ynough togyder lyke a creste in the myddes of the londe the rydge vnder the lefte syde fote whā
therby some balyfs that gyue at theyr acompte for viii busshels vp heped but. ix busshels streken And whether y e busshell be grete or lytell therin is grete dysceyte For at the large busshell he stelyth ii busshels and yf y e corne be grete large than bothe the grete busshell and the small busshell is grete dysceyte and falsnes ¶ And yf youre londe yelde agayn but thre tymes asmoche as ye sewe theron ye shall wynne nothynge therby but yf corne happen to be of greter pryce than it was whan it was sowen ¶ Also ye shal vnderstonde that an acre of londe shall haue thre erthers or men sowe it some more And eche of these erthers be worth vi d y e harowynge i.d. and on the sayd acre shall be sowen ii busshels of whete the pryce xii d the wedynge therof ob the shetynge v.d. the ledynge in to the berne i.d. the strawe the chafe shall aquyte the thresshynge And so thre tymes the sede vi busshels and yf a quarter of whete be solde but for iii. s after Myghelmasse than youre vi busshels be worthe iii. s And youre coste done vpon the sayd acre draweth vnto vii s.i.d.ob besyde the rente of y e lorde ¶ The.x. chapytre YF ye haue ony londe wherupon store of catell may be nourysshed and kepte lete it be stored after that it may bere For yf it be well stored and the store well kepte shall answere you as moche as thextent of youre londe amounteth ¶ And loke ye drawe and serche youre catell ones in y e yere bytwyne Ester and wytsontyde and chaunge those that be not good ¶ Kepe as well your carte hors and oxen as ony other catell those y t be not good to kepe put them to gras for yf ye make them fat w t gras ye shal haue wynnynge therby ¶ Also ye shall wete that the feble oxe coste as moche or more as the beest oxe For yf he be a waster oxe he muste be the more spared by that sparynge the best oxe is the more greued ¶ And yf ye bye you store of catell loke ye by them bytwene Ester wytsontyde for than bestes be lene good chepe and chaunge your carte hors or oren or they be sore worne for with a lytell coste ye shall haue yonge hors as to kepe stylle the olde ¶ And yf ye bye sell in season it shall auayle you more then kepe youre olde tyll they be worne ¶ The. xi chapytre LOoke that ye gyue your plough bestes suffycyent mete to susteyne theyr labour w t not ouercharged ne brought doune with labour for it wyll coste you moche or they be recouered and releued agayn and youre werke shall be gretely lette therby ¶ Also put not youre bestes in houses in rayn weder nor in grete hete for y t engendryth a hete bytwene y e skyn y e fleshe bytwene the lyske and the thygh whiche turneth your catell to grete hurte and yf your catell haue euery day prouender let it be hygh day or they haue it and lete it be delyuered by your balyf lete theyr prouendre be medled w t wheten chafe or oten but not with barly chaf for y t hurteth them in y e mouth and specyally hors ¶ And I wyll tell you why your prouendre is medled with chaf by cause theyr kepers shall not stele it a way chaf causeth them to ete to drynke better than they sholde do And loke theyr stable be made clene euery day ones for y t doth them moche good loke ye gyue your oxen no grete quantyte of strawe at ones but lytell lytell ofte they shall ete well wast lytell For whā they haue a grete quantyte before them atones they ete theyr fyll than they ly doune chewe cudde blow on the mete y t is lefte causeth it to wexe drye than they wyll ete nomore therof ¶ And loke youre oxen be duly made clene rubbed with a wyspe of strawe and that shall cause them to lyke them selfe y e better And lete your kyne haue suffycyent mete and lete them haue the prouender y t your hors and oxen leue ouer nyght And yf your male calf be seke whan it is calued lete it haue the moders mylke a moneth and at the monethes ende take frome it a pape and so at euery wekes ende folowynge take a pape tyll he haue souked fyrste and laste seuen wekes and lerne hym to ete And lete a female calfe haue the moders mylke thre wekes and atte the thyrde wekes ende take frome it a pape and soo forthe wekely as ye dyde the male chafe and lete youre calues haue water ynough and lete theym not out of the house tyll they be waned and some what styfe of age for many calues dye for defaute of houses of an euyll that is called la pomelyer ¶ And yf ony of youre calues fall in sykenes spende i.d. by tyme to helpe it For the wyse man sayth blessed be the peny that saued the pounde ¶ Yf ony of your bestes deye in moreyne lete theym be fleyn and put the skynnes in water viii or ix dayes than take it out and lete the water renne out and that shall make it thycke better to the sale and ye selle it let it not be drye but some what moyste ¶ Now ye shall knowe the yssue of your kyne and wynnyngein butter and chese how moche a cowe shall gyue wekely ¶ Ye muste put youre feble kyne from your good kyne in a good pastour of salte marras than ii kyne shall answere you of these betwene Ester Myghelmas besyde euery weke halfe a gallon of butter and yf it be in fresshe pasture y t is to saye wode felde or stubble after mowynge than thre kyne shall answere you as moche as the two that goth in marras and but lytel more ¶ And shepe yf they be pastured in salte marras than xx moder shepe shall answere as moche as the two kyne that be pastured in salte marras And yf they go in fresshe pasture than xxx moder shepe shall answere as moche as the thre kyne that gone in the fresshe pasture There be some balyfs and deyes that wyll say nay to this but yf the mylke be spylte or spende other wyse And I shall tell you of this thre kyne y t gyue apyece of chese betwen Ester and Myghelniasse and euery weke halfe a galon of butter ¶ It is a feble cowe y t gyueth not in ii dayes as moche mylke as wyll make a chese of an ob that is in syxe dayes i.ob. For the sondaye is not rekened For it is for tythe and other necessaryes ¶ Ye knowe that bytwene Ester and Myghelmasse ben xxiiii wekes for eche of these wekes rekynes a. ob the somme thre s. Put as moche for the seconde cowe and for the thyrde cowe the somme of