¶ Other profitable instructions, right necessarie for husbandmen to know. Cap.iiij.
And first if the horne of the Ramme (nere his eare) be boxed, the same doeth tame his fiercenesse. And if his right genitour be trussed vp before he goeth to couer the Ewe, then doeth he beget an Ewe lambe. And if the left be thus straite trussed vp, and the righte hanging downe, then doeth he begette a hée lambe.
And if in the time of the South wind blowing, the Ram doth then couer the Ewe, he doth after beget a shée lambe.
And if when the North wind bloweth the Ram doth then couer the Ewe, doth after beget a hée lambe. And of what colour also the vaines shal be vnder the tongue of the Ewe, suche shal the colour of the skinne of the lambe be, for if she hath black vaines vnder the tong, then the Lambe shall be blacke of skin, and if white vaines vnder the tong, then shall she haue a white lambe: and if of diuerse colours, then the lambe shal be of diuerse colours on the skin. And that antient Isaac writeth, that Rams in their yong yeares be of lesser moysture and clammynesse, than be the sucking lambs, and this is, through their age and qualitie then ruling.
And therefore the fleshe of yong weathers be better, and ingender better bloud than the sucking lambes.
And this is héere spoken of such Rammes as be gelded, in that their moysture and hotenesse is then temperate.
And the wethers ouer old are to be refused in eating, in that they be then cold and drie without moysture, and they smallye nourish and hardly disgest.
Also béefe and other fleshe of beastes being olde, be euill to eate, through the coldenesse and drynesse, and through the lacke of the moysture and hotnesse. And when the olde Rams in their time to couer the Ewe, be sooner moued thereto, than the yong Rammes, it doeth then signifie a good and profitable season to ensue in that yeare, and a good season and prosperous also for shéepe. But if in the proper time to couer the Ewe, the yong Rammes be sooner prouoked thereto than the olde Rams, then doeth followe the greate rotte or murreyne of shéepe in that yeare.
Also Ewes by drinking of water conceiue the sooner wyth Lambe and of this the shéepeheardes giue them salte to eate, wherby the more drinking of water, they may so conceiue with yong, and they are also by that meanes preserued the healthfuller. And in the Haruest also some sheapheardes giue them to eate Gourdes seasoned with salt to encrease their milke, for by that meanes both the milke more plentifully issue forth of their teates, and the Ewes do sooner conceiue. Also in Sommer is the colde Northerly water good for them, and in the Haruest the warme Southerly water good for them.
Also to let shéepe féede in the ende of the day, is greatelye commended: and if they also stirre but little abrode, the same is thought very profitable, in that the muche iourneying, and labouring of them hither and thither, doth so cause them to become leane. Also the skilful shéepeheards knowe, whiche shéepe will well endure the sharp winter, and which not, in that vpon some of the shéepes backes (as they affirme) Ise maye be founde, and vpon othersome none at al. So that by this may be learned, that such shéepe which be weake, a man can hardely plucke off the Ise from their backes. And further learne, that those shéepe whiche haue long tayles, maye hardlier abide the sharpe colde winter, than those hauing broade tayles: and the shéepe also curled of haire (do in like sorte) hardlier endure the bitter winter.
And besides these, the number greatly harmeth shéepe, especially if anye Ewe being with yong happeneth to be alone at that instant, for that she then with lambe, doeth of the fearefull noyse of the thunder, deliuer hir yong one before the time. And for a speciall remedie to saue that vntimely casting of Lambes at such times, the skilfull shéepeheardes haue found out, that the only driuing of many Ewes togither, is a sure safegard to them to auoyde this occasion. Besides, if you will remoue the rot of shéepe, that they die no more, then take the belly of a Ram, and séeth the same in wine and water togither, which after mixe with water, and giue the same generallye to all the shéepe to drinke, for by that meanes shall they againe be recouered of their disease. And here learne, that the fleshe of shéepe, and other foure footed beastes, which commonly féede in moyste ground, is euill to féede vpon, for the harde digestion of the same. Also learne, that the good shéepe are knowen by their age, as being neyther to olde, nor yet as Lambes: and by the forme also they are knowen, if so be you finde them large of body.
And they besides haue much and soft wool, and both thicke & long heare, especially on the nape, and about the necke, and the like haire on the belly. And both the health & sicknesse of shéepe may be knowen, if so be any openeth their eyes, and findeth the vaines within to be redde and small, which vndoubtedly declareth them to be sound and good: but it those vaines that appeare white, or redde, and bigge, then those shéepe are diseased and weake.
And if the shéepe go lustily and boldely by the waye, it is a sure token that they be sound, but sadly and hanging down the heade, then be they diseased. These hitherto of the yearely coniectures, and other rules, only méete for husbandmen to vnderstand and know.
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Transcriber's note:
Transcriber's note:
Transcriber's note:
Scribal abbreviations have been expanded.
Variations in spelling, accenting, and hyphenation have been retained.
All instances of 'VV' standing in for 'W' have been changed to 'W.'
Table of Contents entries have been regularised to the format 'cap.xij.'
cap.first., comma inserted after 'Aristotle,' "Palladius, Aristotle, Theophrastus"
cap.first., 'aud' changed to 'and,' "diuided with plightes and rings."
cap.vij., 'diligeuce' changed to 'diligence,' "care and diligence of the Bees."
cap.viij., full stop inserted after 'sting,' "or lacketh a sting."
cap.viij., second 'the' struck, "whiche the king carrieth"
cap.viij., comma changed to full stop, "owe vnto him. Yet they punish"
cap.viij., comma inserted, "lesser of body, yet howsoeuer"
cap.viij., catchwords 'be placed' inserted, "be placed certaine rulers,"
cap.ix., second 'in' struck, "become gentle in a short time."
cap.ix., 'iu' changed to 'in,' "in the steade of"
cap.ix., 'hoth' changed to 'both,' "to be both euill and"
cap.ix., 'dest' changed to 'best,' "doth he best commende"
cap.x., comma inserted after 'ditches,' "puddels, ditches, dung-heapes,"
cap.x., 'chéeritrée' changed to 'Chéeri trée,' "Chéeri trée they greatly hate"
cap.x., 'hat' changed to 'that,' "for that tasting of"
cap.x., 'flonres' changed to 'floures,' "tasting of the floures"
cap.xj., comma inserted after 'swallows,' "to swallows, to sparrowes, and"
cap.xij., 'spetiall' changed to 'speciall,' "This is a speciall argument"
cap.xv., full stop inserted after 'agayne,' "or recouered agayne."
cap.xvj., full stop inserted after 'Bees,' "for the Honny Bees."
cap.xvj., 'dwo' changed to 'two,' "two very small and narrowe holes"
cap.xvj., full stop inserted after 'otherwise,' "darke, than otherwise."
cap.xvij., hyphen changed to full stop, "and face. And one that"
cap.xvij., comma changed to full stop, "greatlye abhorre. Besides, to be"
cap.xvij., full stop inserted before 'x.,' "the .viij. or .x. day of"
cap.xvij., 'profftable' changed to 'profitable,' "is very profitable, and"
cap.xvij., 'beinying' changed to 'beginyng,' "And from the beginyng"
cap.xx., 'controueesie' changed to 'controuersie,' "in this controuersie"
cap.xxj., 'be' changed to 'bée,' "set forth another bée"
cap.xxj., 'a sunder' changed to 'asunder,' "cutte it asunder."
cap.xxj., 'a sunder' changed to 'asunder,' "be like cut asunder,"
cap.xxij., 'Beees' changed to 'Bees,' "That the Bees sting"
cap.xxij., 'Cap.xxi' changed to 'Cap.xxij.'
cap.xxij., 'placed' changed to 'places,' "on the stinged places."
cap.xxij., 'fouth' changed to 'fourth,' "in his fourth rule"
cap.xxxij., comma inserted after 'water,' "of this yealow water, of Aloes"
cap.xl., 'ef' changed to 'of,' "Oyle out of Waxe"
conclusion, '(I trust)efullye' changed to '(I truste) fullye,' "I haue (I truste) fullye satisfied"
conclusion, 'recciue' changed to 'receiue,' "thou mayste receiue any"
Coniectures cap.j., 'fruietes' changed to 'fruites,' "of fruites and corne"
Coniectures cap.j., 'yeelde' changed to 'yéelde,' "small yéelde of the fruites"
Coniectures cap.j., 'trees' changed to 'trées,' "fruites of the trées be"
Coniectures cap.j., 'than' changed to 'then,' "then in the yere"
Coniectures cap.j., 'tree' changed to 'trée,' "the Lemmon trée"
Coniectures cap.j., 'threa-' changed to 'threaten,' "it doeth after threaten in the Winter"
Coniectures cap.ij., 'tearefull' changed to 'fearefull,' "likelihoode of fearefull fyres"