| DECEMBERS
HUSBANDRIE
When
frost will not suffer to dike and to hedge, Beetle
and wedges
then
get thee a heat with thy beetle and wedge:
Once
Hallomas come, and fire in the hall,
such
slivers doo well for to lie by the wall.
Get
grindstone and whetstone, for toole that is dull, Grinding
stone and whetstone
or
often be letted and freat bellie full.
A
wheele barrow also be ready to have
at
hand of thy servant, thy compas to save.
Give
cattle their fodder in plot drie and warme, Serving
of cattle
and
count them for miring or other like harme.
Yoong
colts with thy wennels together go serve,
least
lurched by others they happen to serve.
The
rack is commeded for saving of dung, Woodland
countrie
so
set as the old cannot mischiefe the young:
In
tempest (the wind being northly or east)
warme
barne under hedge is a ssucker to beast.
The
housing of cattel while winter doth hold Housing
of cattel.
is
good for all such as are feeble and old:
It
saveth much compas, and many a sleepe, Champion
and
spareth the pastures for walk of thy sheep.
For
charges so little much quiet is won, Champion
if
strongly and handsomly al thing be don:
But
use to untackle them once in a day,
to
rub and to lick them, to drink and to play.
Get
trustie to tend them, not lubberlie squire, Ordering
of cattel
that
all the day long has his nose at the fire.
Nor
trust unto children poore cattel to feede,
but
such as be able to help at a neede.
Serve
riestraw out first, then wheatstraw and pease,
then
oatstraw and barlie, then hay if ye please:
But
serve them with hay while the straw stover last,
and
love they no straw, they had rather to fast.
Yokes,
fors, and such other, let bailie spie out, Forkes
and yokes
and
gather the same as he walketh about,
And
after at leisure let this be his hier,
to
beath them and trim them at home by the fier,
As
well at the full of the moon as the change,
sea
rages in winter be sodainly strange. Going
of cattel in marshes
Then
look to thy marshes, if doubt be to fray,
for
feare of ( ne forte ) have catel away.
Both
saltfish and lingfish (if any ye have) Looke
to thy ling and saltfish
through
shifting and drieng from rotting go save:
Least
winter with moistnes doo make it relent,
and
put it in hazard before it is spent.
Broome
fagot is best to drie haberden on, How
to use ling and haberden
lay
boord upon lader if fagots be gon.
For
breaking (in turning) have verie good eie,
and
blame not the wind, so the weather be drie.
Good
fruit and good plentie doth well in the loft,
then
make thee an orchard and cherish it oft:
For
plant or for stock laie aforehand to cast, Remooving
of trees
but
set or remoove it er Christmas be past.
Set
one fro other full fortie foote wide, An
orchard point
to
stand as he stood is a part is his pride.
More
faier, more woorthie, if cost to remoove,
more
steadie ye set it, more likely to proove.
To
teach and unteach in a school is unmeete,
to
doe and undoe to the purse is unsweete, Orchard
and hopyard
The
orchard or hopyard, so trimmed with cost,
should
not through follie be spoiled and lost.
Er
Christmas be passed let horse be let blood, Letting
horse blood
for
many a purpose it doth them much good.
The
daie of S. Stephen old fathers do use:
if
that do mislike thee some other daie chuse.
Looke
well to thy horses in stable thou must, Breeding
of the bots
that
haie be not foistie, nor chaffe ful of dust:
Not
stone in their provender, feather nor clots,
nor
fed with greene peason, for breeding of bots.
Some
coutries of meadow for hay,
yet
ease it with fitchis as well as the may.
Which
inned and threshed and husbandlie dight,
keepes
labouring cattel in verie good plight.
In
threshing out fitchis one point I will shew,
first
thresh out for seede of the fitchis a few:
Thresh
few for thy plowhorse, thresh cleane for the cow,
this
order in Norfolke good husdanbs alow.
If
frost doe continue, take this for a lawe, Strawberies
the
straw beries looke to be covered with strawe.
Laid
overly trim upon crotchis and bows,
and
after uncovered as weather allows.
The
gilleflower also, the skilful do knowe, Gille
flowers
doe
looke to be covered, in frost and in snowe.
The
knot, and the border, and rosemaries gaie,
do
crave the like succour for dieng awaie.
Go
looke to thy bees, if th hive be too light, How
to preserve bees
set
water and hinie, with rosemarie dight.
Which
set in a dish ful of sticks in the hive,
from
danger of famine yee save them alive.
In
medow or pasture (to growe the more fine)
let
campers be camping in any of thine:
Which
if ye doe suffer when lowe is the spring,
you
gaine to your selfe a commodious thing.
CHRISTMAS
At
Christmas we banket, the rich with the poore,
who
then (but the miser) but openeth [h]is door?
At
Christmas of Christ many Carols we sing,
and
give many gifts in the joy of the King.
Good
husband and huswife now cheefly be glad,
things
handsom to have as they ought to be had;
They
both do provide against Christmas doo come,
to
welcome good neighbour, good cheer to have some.
Good
bread and goode drinke, a good fier in the hall,
brawne,
pudding and souse, and good mustard withall.
Beefe,
mutton, and pork, shred pies of the best,
pig,
veale, goose and capon, and turkey well dressed;
Cheese,
apples and nuts, joly Carols to heare,
as
then in the countrie is counted good cheare.
What
cost to good husband is any of this?
good
household provision onely it is.
Of
other the like I do leave out a menie,
that
costeth the husbandman never a penny.
A
CHRISTMAS CAROLL
of
the birth of Christ upon the tune of King Salomon
Was
not Christ our saviour
sent
to us fro God above?
not
for our good behaviour,
but
onely of his mercie and love.
If
this be true, as true it is,
truely
in deede,
great
thanks to God to yeeld for this,
then
we had neede.
This
did our God for very troth,
to
traine to him the soule of man,
and
justly to perform his oth
to
Sara and to Abram than,
That
through his seed all nations should
most
belessed bee:
As
in due time performe he would
as
now wee see.
Which
woonderously is brough to pas,
and
in our sight alredie donne,
by
sending as his promise was
(to
comfort us) his onely sonne,
Even
Christ (I mean) that virgins child,
in
Bethlem borne,
that
Lamb of God, that Prophet mild,
with
crowned thorne.
Such
was his love to save us all,
from
dangers of the curse of God,
that
we stood in by Adams fall,
and
by our own deserved rod,
That
through his blood and holie name
who
so beleeves,
and
flie from sinne and abhors the same,
free
mercie he geeves.
For
these glad newes this feast doth bring:
to
God the Sonne and holy Ghost
let
man give thanks, rejoice, and sing,
from
world to world, from cost to cost:
for
all good gifts so many waies
that
God doth send,
let
us in Christ give God the praies,
till
life shall end.
T.
Tusser
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