64.

[1]countery. 1577.

[2]Because of them both I do knowI mind thereof somewhat to show. 1577.

[2]

Because of them both I do knowI mind thereof somewhat to show. 1577.

[3]There common as commoners do,As good else to cobble a shoe. 1573 (M.) and 1577.

[3]

There common as commoners do,As good else to cobble a shoe. 1573 (M.) and 1577.

[4]"In Norfolk (in our Author's time) there was a considerable Rebellion, call'd Ket's Rebellion against Inclosures, and to this day they take the Liberty of throwing open all Enclosures out of the Common Field, these are commonly call'd Lammas Lands, and half Year Lands."—T.R.

[5]sheep and with swine. 1577.

[6]one. 1577.

[7]Stanzas 12-21 are not in 1577.

[8]Query, yarely.

An enuious neighbour is easie to finde,His cumbersomefetchesare seldome[2]behinde.His hatredprocurethfrom naughtie to wurse,His friendship like Iudas that carried the purse.[E395]His head is a storehouse, with quarrels fullfraught,His braine is vnquiet, till all come to naught.His memorie pregnant, old euils to recite,His mind euer fixed each euill to requite.His mouth full of venim, his lips out of frame,[E396]His tongue a false witnes, his friend to defame.His eies bepromooters, some trespas to spie,His eares be asspials,[E397]alarum to crie.His hands be as tyrants, reuenging ech thing,His feete at thine elbow, as serpent to sting.His breast full of rancor, like Canker[3]to freat,His hart like a Lion, his neighbour to eat.Hisgatelike asheepebiter,[E398]fleeringaside,His looke like acoxcombe,[E399]vp puffed with pride.His face made of brasse, like avicein a game,His iesture like Dauus,[E400]whom Terence doth name.His brag as Thersites,[E401]with elbowes abrode.His cheekes in his furie shall swell like a tode.[E402]His colour like ashes, his cap in his eies,His nose in the aire, his snout in the skies.His promise to trust to as slipprie[4]as ice,His credit much like to the chance of the dice.His knowledge or skill is inprating[5]too much,His companie shunned,[6]and so be all such.His friendship iscounterfait, seldome to trust,His dooings vnluckie and euer vniust.His fetch is to flatter, to get what he can,His purpose once gotten, a pin[7]for thee than.

[1]This chapter precedes the Author's Life in 1577 edition.

[2]sieldome. 1614.

[3]Coprus. 1577.

[4]slipper. 1577.

[5]parting. 1577.

[6]shenned. 1577.

[7]penny. 1577.

To beard thy foes shews forth thy witt,but helpes the matter nere a whit.My sonne, were it not worstto frame thy nature so,That as thine vse is to thy friend,likewise to greet thy foe:Though not for hope of good,yet for the feare of euill,Thou maist find ease so proffering vpa candell to the deuill.This knowne, the surest waythine enemies wrath to swage;If thou canstcurreyfauour thus,thou shalt be counted sage.Of truth I tell no lye,by proofe to well I knowe,The stubborne want of only thishath brought full many lowe.And yet to speak the trouththe Deuill is worse then naught,That no good turne will once deserue,yet looketh vp so haught.Exalt him how we please,and giue him what we can,Yet skarcely shall we find such Deuilla truly honest man.But where the mighty mayofforce the weake constraine,It shal be wysely doone to bowtovoyda farther payne,Like as in tempest great,where wind doth beare the stroke,Much safer stands the bowing reedethen doth the stubborne oke.And chiefly when of allthy selfe art one of thoseThat fortune needes, will haue to dwellfast by the Deuils nose:Then (though against thine hart)thy tongue thou must so charmeThat tongue may say, where ere thou comethe Deuill doth no man harme.For where as no reuengemay stand a man in steede,As good is then an humble speech,as otherwise to bleede.Like as ye see by himthat hath ashrewto wife,As good it is to speak her faireas still to liue in strife.Put thou no Deuill in booteas once did master Shorne:[E404]Take heede as from maddebaytedbullto keepe thee fro his horne.And where ye see the Deuillso bold to wrest with lawe,Makecongéoft, and crouch aloofe,but come not in his clawe.The scholer forth of schoolemay boldlier take his mind,The fields haue eyes, the bushes eares,false birds can fetch the wind.[E405]The further from the gonethe safer may ye skippe,The nerer to the carters handthe nerer to the whippe.The neerer to the whippethe sooner comes thejerke,The sooner that poore beast is struckethe sooner doth heyerke.Some loueth for to whippe,to see how ierkes will smart,In wofull taking is that horsethat nedes must drawe in cart.Such fellow is the Deuell,that doth euen what he list,Yet thinketh he what ere he dothnone ought dare say, butwhist.Take therefore heed, my sonne,and marke full well this song,Learne thus with craft to claw the deuell,else liue in rest not long.

To beard thy foes shews forth thy witt,but helpes the matter nere a whit.

My sonne, were it not worstto frame thy nature so,That as thine vse is to thy friend,likewise to greet thy foe:Though not for hope of good,yet for the feare of euill,Thou maist find ease so proffering vpa candell to the deuill.

This knowne, the surest waythine enemies wrath to swage;If thou canstcurreyfauour thus,thou shalt be counted sage.Of truth I tell no lye,by proofe to well I knowe,The stubborne want of only thishath brought full many lowe.

And yet to speak the trouththe Deuill is worse then naught,That no good turne will once deserue,yet looketh vp so haught.Exalt him how we please,and giue him what we can,Yet skarcely shall we find such Deuilla truly honest man.

But where the mighty mayofforce the weake constraine,It shal be wysely doone to bowtovoyda farther payne,Like as in tempest great,where wind doth beare the stroke,Much safer stands the bowing reedethen doth the stubborne oke.

And chiefly when of allthy selfe art one of thoseThat fortune needes, will haue to dwellfast by the Deuils nose:Then (though against thine hart)thy tongue thou must so charmeThat tongue may say, where ere thou comethe Deuill doth no man harme.

For where as no reuengemay stand a man in steede,As good is then an humble speech,as otherwise to bleede.Like as ye see by himthat hath ashrewto wife,As good it is to speak her faireas still to liue in strife.

Put thou no Deuill in booteas once did master Shorne:[E404]Take heede as from maddebaytedbullto keepe thee fro his horne.And where ye see the Deuillso bold to wrest with lawe,Makecongéoft, and crouch aloofe,but come not in his clawe.

The scholer forth of schoolemay boldlier take his mind,The fields haue eyes, the bushes eares,false birds can fetch the wind.[E405]The further from the gonethe safer may ye skippe,The nerer to the carters handthe nerer to the whippe.

The neerer to the whippethe sooner comes thejerke,The sooner that poore beast is struckethe sooner doth heyerke.Some loueth for to whippe,to see how ierkes will smart,In wofull taking is that horsethat nedes must drawe in cart.

Such fellow is the Deuell,that doth euen what he list,Yet thinketh he what ere he dothnone ought dare say, butwhist.Take therefore heed, my sonne,and marke full well this song,Learne thus with craft to claw the deuell,else liue in rest not long.

Dothdarnellgood, among the flowrie wheat?Doo thistles good, so thick in fallow spide?Dootaint wormesgood, that lurke where ox should eatOr sucking drones, in hiue where bees abide?Doo hornets good, or these same biting gnats?Foule swelling toades, what good by them is seene?In house well deckt, what good doth gnawing rats?Orcastingmowles, among the meadowes greene?Doth heauie newes make glad the hart of man?Or noisome smels, what good doth that to health?Now once for all, what good (shew who so can?)Doo stinging[1]snakes, to this our Commonwealth?No more doth good a peeuish slanderous toung,But hurts it selfe, and noies both old and young.[E407]

No more doth good a peeuish slanderous toung,But hurts it selfe, and noies both old and young.[E407]

[1]stinking. 1577.

Seuen times hath Janus[E408]tanenew yéere by hand,Seuen times hath blustring March blowne forth his powre:To driue out Aprils buds, by sea and land,ForminionMaie, to deck most trim with flowre.Seuen times hath temperate Ver,[E409]like pageant plaide,And pleasant Æstasekehir flowers told:Seuen times Autumnes heate hath béenedelaide,[E410]With Hyems boistrous blasts, and bitter cold.Seuen times the thirtéene Moones[E411]haue changed hew,Seuen times the Sunne his course hath gone about:Seuen times ech bird hir nest hath built anew,Since first time you to serue, I choosed out.Still yours am I, though thus the time hath past,And trust to be, as[1]long as life shall last.

Still yours am I, though thus the time hath past,And trust to be, as[1]long as life shall last.

[1]so. 1577.

Man minded for to thriuemust wisely lay to wiue.What hap may thereby fallhere argued find ye shall.

Affirmation.[1]Frend, where we met this other day,We heard one make hismoneand say,Good Lord, how might I thriue?We heard an other answere him,Then make thee handsome, trick and trim,And lay in time to wiue.Obiection.[2]And what of that, say you to mee?Do you your selfe thinke that to beThe best way for to thriue?If truth were truelyboltedout,[E413]As touching thrift, I stand in dout,If men were best to wiue.Affirmation.[3]There is no doubt, for proue I can,I haue but seldome seene that manWhich could the way to thriue:[E414]Vntill it was his happie lot,To stay himselfe in some good plot,[E415]And wisely then to wiue.Obiection.[4]And I am of an other minde,For by no reason can I finde,How that way I should thriue:For where as now I spend a pennie,I should not then be quit with mennie,Through bondage for to wiue.Affirmation.[5]Not so, for now where thou dost spend,Of this and that,[E416]to no good end,Which hindereth thee to thriue:Such vaine expences thou shouldst saue,And daily then lay more to haue,As others do that wiue.Obiection.[6]Why then do folke this prouerbe put,The blacke oxe neare trod on thy fut,[E417]If that way were to thriue?Hereout a man may soone picke forth,Few feeleth what a pennie is worth,Till such time as they wiue.Affirmation.[7]It may so chaunce as thou doest say,This lesson therefore beare away,If thereby thou wilt thriue:Looke ere thou leape, see ere thou go,It may be for thy profite so,For thee to lay to wiue.Obiection.[8]It is too much we dailie heare,To wiue and thriue both in a yeare,[E418]As touching now to thriue:I know not herein what to spie,But that there doth small profite lie,To fansie for to wiue.Affirmation.[9]In deede the first yeare oft is such,Thatfondlysome bestoweth much,A let to them to thriue:Yet other moe may soone be founde,Which getteth many a faire pounde,The same day that they wiue.Obiection.[10]I graunt some getteth more that day,Than they can easily beare away,Nowe needes then must they thriue:What gaineth such thinke you by that?A little burden, you wote what,Through fondnesse for to wiue.Affirmation.[11]Thou seemest blinde as mo[E419]haue bin,It is not beautie bringeth inThe thing to make thee thriue:In womankinde, see that ye doRequire of hir no gift but two,When ere ye minde to wiue.Obiection.[12]But two, say you? I pray you thanShew those as briefly as you can,If that may helpe to thriue:Iweenewe must conclude anon,Of those same twaine to want the ton,When ere we chance to wiue.Honestie and huswiferie.Affirmation.[13]An honest huswife, trust to mee,Be those same twaine, I say to thee,That helpe so much to thriue:As honestie farre passeth golde,So huswiferie in yong and olde,Do pleasure such as wiue.Obiection.[14]The honestie in deede I graunt,Is one good point the wife shouldhaunt,To make hir husband thriue:But now faine would I haue you show,How should a man good huswife know,If once he hap to wiue?Affirmation.[15]A huswife good betimes will rise,And order things in comelie wise,Hir minde is set to thriue:Vpon hirdistaffeshe will spinne,And with hir needle she will winne,If such ye hap to wiue.Obiection.[16]It is not idle going about,Nor all dayprickingon aclout,Can make a man to thriue:Or if there be no other winning,But that the wife gets by hir spinning,Small thrift it is to wiue.Affirmation.[17]Some more than this yet do shee[1]shall,Although thy stocke be verie small,Yet will shee helpe thee thriue:Lay thou[2]to saue, as well as she,And then thou shalt[3]enriched be,When such thou hapst[4]to wiue.Obiection.[18]If she were mine, I tell thee troth,Too much to trouble hir I were loth,For greedines to thriue:Least some should talke, as is the speech,The good wiues husband weares no breech,[E420]If such I hap to wiue.Affirmation.[19]What hurts it thee what some do say,If honestlie she take the wayTo helpe thee for to thriue?For honestie will make hir prest,To doo the thing that shall be best,If such ye hap to wiue.Obiection.[20]Why didDiogenessay than,To one that askt of him time whan,Were best to wiue to thriue?Not yet (quoth[5]he) if thou be yong,If thou waxe old, then holde thy tong,It is too late to wiue.[E421]Affirmation.[21]Belike he knew some shrewish wife,Which with hir husband made such strife,That hindered him to thriue:Who then may blame him for that clause,Though then he spake as some had cause,As touching for to wiue?Obiection.[22]Why then I see to take a shrew,(As seldome other there be few)Is not the way to thriue:So hard a thing I spie it is,The good to chuse, the shrew to mis,That feareth me to wiue.[E422]Affirmation.[23]She may in something seeme a shrew,Yet such a huswife as but few,To helpe thee for to thriue:This prouerbe looke in mind ye keepe,As good a shrew is as a sheepe,[E423]For you to take to wiue.Obiection.[24]Now be she lambe or be sheeaw,Giue me the sheepe, take thou theshreaw,See which of vs shall thriue:If she be shrewish thinke for troth,For all her thrift I would be lothTo match with such to wiue.Affirmation.[25]Tush, farewell then, I leaue you off,Such fooles as you that loue to scoff,Shall seldome wiue to thriue:Contrariehir, as you do me,And then ye shall, I warrant ye,Repent ye if ye wiue.Obiection.[26]Friend, let vs both giue iustly place,To wedded man to iudge thiscace,Which best way is to thriue:For both our talke as seemeth plaine,Is but as hapneth in our braine,To will or not to wiue.¶Wedded mans iudgementVpon the former argument.Moderator.[27]As Cock that wants his mate, goes rouing all about,With crowing early and late, to find his louer out:And as poore sillie hen, long wanting cock to guide,Soone droopes and shortly then beginnes topeakeaside:Euen so it is with man and wife, where gouernment is found,The want of ton the others life doth shortly sooneconfound.[28]In iest and in earnest, here argued ye finde,That husband and huswife togither must dwell,And thereto the iudgement of wedded mans minde,That husbandrie otherwise speedeth not well:So somewhat more nowe I intende for to tell,Of huswiferie like as of husbandrie tolde,How huswifelie huswife helpes bring in the golde.

Obiection.[2]And what of that, say you to mee?Do you your selfe thinke that to beThe best way for to thriue?If truth were truelyboltedout,[E413]As touching thrift, I stand in dout,If men were best to wiue.

Affirmation.[3]There is no doubt, for proue I can,I haue but seldome seene that manWhich could the way to thriue:[E414]Vntill it was his happie lot,To stay himselfe in some good plot,[E415]And wisely then to wiue.

Obiection.[4]And I am of an other minde,For by no reason can I finde,How that way I should thriue:For where as now I spend a pennie,I should not then be quit with mennie,Through bondage for to wiue.

Affirmation.[5]Not so, for now where thou dost spend,Of this and that,[E416]to no good end,Which hindereth thee to thriue:Such vaine expences thou shouldst saue,And daily then lay more to haue,As others do that wiue.

Obiection.[6]Why then do folke this prouerbe put,The blacke oxe neare trod on thy fut,[E417]If that way were to thriue?Hereout a man may soone picke forth,Few feeleth what a pennie is worth,Till such time as they wiue.

Affirmation.[7]It may so chaunce as thou doest say,This lesson therefore beare away,If thereby thou wilt thriue:Looke ere thou leape, see ere thou go,It may be for thy profite so,For thee to lay to wiue.

Obiection.[8]It is too much we dailie heare,To wiue and thriue both in a yeare,[E418]As touching now to thriue:I know not herein what to spie,But that there doth small profite lie,To fansie for to wiue.

Affirmation.[9]In deede the first yeare oft is such,Thatfondlysome bestoweth much,A let to them to thriue:Yet other moe may soone be founde,Which getteth many a faire pounde,The same day that they wiue.

Obiection.[10]I graunt some getteth more that day,Than they can easily beare away,Nowe needes then must they thriue:What gaineth such thinke you by that?A little burden, you wote what,Through fondnesse for to wiue.

Affirmation.[11]Thou seemest blinde as mo[E419]haue bin,It is not beautie bringeth inThe thing to make thee thriue:In womankinde, see that ye doRequire of hir no gift but two,When ere ye minde to wiue.

Obiection.[12]But two, say you? I pray you thanShew those as briefly as you can,If that may helpe to thriue:Iweenewe must conclude anon,Of those same twaine to want the ton,When ere we chance to wiue.

Honestie and huswiferie.

Affirmation.[13]An honest huswife, trust to mee,Be those same twaine, I say to thee,That helpe so much to thriue:As honestie farre passeth golde,So huswiferie in yong and olde,Do pleasure such as wiue.

Obiection.[14]The honestie in deede I graunt,Is one good point the wife shouldhaunt,To make hir husband thriue:But now faine would I haue you show,How should a man good huswife know,If once he hap to wiue?

Affirmation.[15]A huswife good betimes will rise,And order things in comelie wise,Hir minde is set to thriue:Vpon hirdistaffeshe will spinne,And with hir needle she will winne,If such ye hap to wiue.

Obiection.[16]It is not idle going about,Nor all dayprickingon aclout,Can make a man to thriue:Or if there be no other winning,But that the wife gets by hir spinning,Small thrift it is to wiue.

Affirmation.[17]Some more than this yet do shee[1]shall,Although thy stocke be verie small,Yet will shee helpe thee thriue:Lay thou[2]to saue, as well as she,And then thou shalt[3]enriched be,When such thou hapst[4]to wiue.

Obiection.[18]If she were mine, I tell thee troth,Too much to trouble hir I were loth,For greedines to thriue:Least some should talke, as is the speech,The good wiues husband weares no breech,[E420]If such I hap to wiue.

Affirmation.[19]What hurts it thee what some do say,If honestlie she take the wayTo helpe thee for to thriue?For honestie will make hir prest,To doo the thing that shall be best,If such ye hap to wiue.

Obiection.[20]Why didDiogenessay than,To one that askt of him time whan,Were best to wiue to thriue?Not yet (quoth[5]he) if thou be yong,If thou waxe old, then holde thy tong,It is too late to wiue.[E421]

Affirmation.[21]Belike he knew some shrewish wife,Which with hir husband made such strife,That hindered him to thriue:Who then may blame him for that clause,Though then he spake as some had cause,As touching for to wiue?

Obiection.[22]Why then I see to take a shrew,(As seldome other there be few)Is not the way to thriue:So hard a thing I spie it is,The good to chuse, the shrew to mis,That feareth me to wiue.[E422]

Affirmation.[23]She may in something seeme a shrew,Yet such a huswife as but few,To helpe thee for to thriue:This prouerbe looke in mind ye keepe,As good a shrew is as a sheepe,[E423]For you to take to wiue.

Obiection.[24]Now be she lambe or be sheeaw,Giue me the sheepe, take thou theshreaw,See which of vs shall thriue:If she be shrewish thinke for troth,For all her thrift I would be lothTo match with such to wiue.

Affirmation.[25]Tush, farewell then, I leaue you off,Such fooles as you that loue to scoff,Shall seldome wiue to thriue:Contrariehir, as you do me,And then ye shall, I warrant ye,Repent ye if ye wiue.

Obiection.[26]Friend, let vs both giue iustly place,To wedded man to iudge thiscace,Which best way is to thriue:For both our talke as seemeth plaine,Is but as hapneth in our braine,To will or not to wiue.

¶Wedded mans iudgementVpon the former argument.

Moderator.

[27]As Cock that wants his mate, goes rouing all about,With crowing early and late, to find his louer out:And as poore sillie hen, long wanting cock to guide,Soone droopes and shortly then beginnes topeakeaside:Euen so it is with man and wife, where gouernment is found,The want of ton the others life doth shortly sooneconfound.

[28]In iest and in earnest, here argued ye finde,That husband and huswife togither must dwell,And thereto the iudgement of wedded mans minde,That husbandrie otherwise speedeth not well:So somewhat more nowe I intende for to tell,Of huswiferie like as of husbandrie tolde,How huswifelie huswife helpes bring in the golde.

[1]they. 1577.

[2]you. 1577.

[3]you shall. 1577.

[4]you hap. 1577.

[5]quod. 1577.

The points of Huswiferie, vnited tothe comfort of Husbandrie, newly correctedand amplified, with diuers goodlessons for housholders to recreate theReader, as by the Table at the endhereof more plainlie mayappeere.

Set forth by Thomas Tusser Gentleman.

1Though danger bemickle,and fauour so fickle,Yet dutie doth ticklemy fansie towright:Concerning how prettie,how fine and hownettie,Good huswife shouldiettie,[1]from morning to night.2Not minding[2]by writing,to kindle a spiting,But shew by enditing,as afterward told:How husbandrie easeth,to huswiferie pleaseth,And manie pursegreasethwith siluer and gold.3For husbandrie wéepeth,where huswiferie sléepeth,And hardly he créepeth,vp ladder to thrift:That wanteth to bold him,thrifts ladder to hold him,Before it be told him,he falles without shift.4Least many should feare me,and others forsweare me,Of troth I doo beare mevpright as ye sée:Full minded to looue all,and not to reprooue all,But onely to mooue all,good huswiues to bée.5For if I shouldmindsome,ordescantbehind some,And missing to find some,displease so I mought:Or if I should blend them,and so to offend them,What stur I should send themI stand in a dought.6Though harmles ye[3]make itand some doo well take it,If others forsake it,what pleasure were that?Naught else but to paine me,and nothing to gaine me,But make them disdaine meI wot ner for what.7Least some make a triall,as clocke by thediall,Some stand to deniall,some murmur and grudge:Giue iudgement I pray you,for iustlie so may you,So fansie, so say you,I make you my iudge.8In time, ye shall try me,by troth, ye shall spy me,So finde, so set by me,according to skill:How euer trée groweth,the fruit the trée showeth,[E425]Your Ladiship knoweth,my hart and good will.9Thogh fortune dothmeasure,and I doo lacke treasure,Yet if I may pleasureyour Honour with this:Then will me to mend it,or mend er ye send it,Or any where lend it,if ought be amis.Your Ladiships Seruant,Thomas Tusser.

1Though danger bemickle,and fauour so fickle,Yet dutie doth ticklemy fansie towright:Concerning how prettie,how fine and hownettie,Good huswife shouldiettie,[1]from morning to night.

2Not minding[2]by writing,to kindle a spiting,But shew by enditing,as afterward told:How husbandrie easeth,to huswiferie pleaseth,And manie pursegreasethwith siluer and gold.

3For husbandrie wéepeth,where huswiferie sléepeth,And hardly he créepeth,vp ladder to thrift:That wanteth to bold him,thrifts ladder to hold him,Before it be told him,he falles without shift.

4Least many should feare me,and others forsweare me,Of troth I doo beare mevpright as ye sée:Full minded to looue all,and not to reprooue all,But onely to mooue all,good huswiues to bée.

5For if I shouldmindsome,ordescantbehind some,And missing to find some,displease so I mought:Or if I should blend them,and so to offend them,What stur I should send themI stand in a dought.

6Though harmles ye[3]make itand some doo well take it,If others forsake it,what pleasure were that?Naught else but to paine me,and nothing to gaine me,But make them disdaine meI wot ner for what.

7Least some make a triall,as clocke by thediall,Some stand to deniall,some murmur and grudge:Giue iudgement I pray you,for iustlie so may you,So fansie, so say you,I make you my iudge.

8In time, ye shall try me,by troth, ye shall spy me,So finde, so set by me,according to skill:How euer trée groweth,the fruit the trée showeth,[E425]Your Ladiship knoweth,my hart and good will.

9Thogh fortune dothmeasure,and I doo lacke treasure,Yet if I may pleasureyour Honour with this:Then will me to mend it,or mend er ye send it,Or any where lend it,if ought be amis.

Your Ladiships Seruant,Thomas Tusser.

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