15 — ¶ Septembers Abstract
Chap. 15
11
Now enter John,
old fermer is gon.
2
What champion vseth,
that woodland refuseth.
3
Good ferme now take,
kéepe still, or forsake.
4
What helpes to reuiue
the thriuing to thriue.
5
Plough, fence, & store
aught else before.
6
By tits and such
few gaineth much.
7
Horse strong and light
soone charges quite.2
Light head and purse,
what lightnes wurse.
8
Who goeth3 a borrowing,
goeth a sorrowing.E69
Few lends (but fooles)
their working tooles.4
9
Gréene rie haue some,
er Mihelmas come.
10
Grant soile hir lust,
sowe rie in the dust.
11
Cleane rie that sowes,
the better crop mowes.
12
Mix rie aright,
with wheat that is whight.
13
Sée corne sowen in,
too thick nor too thin.
For want of séede,
land yéeldeth wéede.
14
With sling or bowe,
kéepe corne from Crowe.
15
Trench hedge and forrow,
that water may thorow.
Déepe dike saues much,
from drouers and such.
16
Amend marsh wall,
Crab holes and all.
17
Geld bulles and rams,
sewe ponds, amend dams.
Sell webster thy wull,
fruite gather, grapes pull.
For fear of drabs,
go gather thy crabs.
18
Plucke fruite to last,
when Mihell5 is past.
19
Forget it not,
fruit brused will rot.
Light ladder and long
doth trée least wrong.
Go gather with skill,
and gather that will.
20
Driue hiue, good conie,
for waxe and for honie.
No driuing of hiue,
till yéeres past6 fiue.
21
Good dwelling giue bée,
or hence goes7 shée.
22
Put bore in stie,
for Hallontide nie.
23
With bore (good Cisse)
let naught be amisse.
24
Karle hempe, left gréene,
now pluck vp cléene.
Drowne hemp as ye néed,
once had out his séed.
I pray thee (good Kit)
drowne hempe in pit.
25
Of al the rest,
white hempe is best.
Let skilfull be gotten
least hempe prooue rotten.
26
Set strawberies, wife,
I loue them for life.
27
Plant Respe and rose,
and such as those.
28
Goe gather vp mast,
er8 time be past.
Mast fats vp swine,
Mast kils vp kine.
29
Let hogs be roong,
both old and yoong.
30
No mast vpon oke,
no longer9 vnyoke.
If hog doe crie,
giue eare and eie.
31
Hogs haunting corne
may not be borne.
32
Good neighbour thow
good custome alow,
No scaring with dog,
whilst mast is for hog.
33
Get home with the brake,
to brue with and bake,
To couer the shed
drie ouer the hed,
To lie vnder cow,
to rot vnder mow,10
To serue to burne,
for many a turne.
34
To sawpit drawe
boord log, to sawe.
Let timber be haile,
least profit doe quaile.
Such boord and pale
is readie sale.
35
Sawne slab let lie,
for stable and stie,
sawe dust spred thick,
makes alley trick.
36
Kéepe safe thy fence,
scare breakhedge thence.
A drab and a knaue
will prowle to haue.
37
Marke winde and moone,
at midnight and noone.
Some rigs thy plow,
some milks thy cow.
38
Red cur or black,
few prowlers lack.
39
Some steale, some pilch,
some all away filch,
Mark losses with gréefe,
through prowling théefe.
Thus Endeth Septembers Abstract, Agréeing With Septembers Husbandrie11
¶ Other Short Remembrances12
[40]
Now friend, as ye wish,
goe seuer thy fish:
When friend shall come,
to be sure of some.
[41]
Thy ponds renew,
put éeles in stew,
To léeue13 till Lent,
and then to be spent.
[42]
Set priuie or prim,
set boxe like him.
Set Giloflowers14 all,
that growes on the wall.
[43]
Set herbes some more,
for winter store.
Sowe séedes for pot,
for flowers sowe not.
Here Ends Septembers Short Remembrances
Notes15
1 Stanzas 1 and 2 not in 1577.
2 quight. 1577.
3 goes. 1577.
4 After st. 8, in 1577, follow sts. 36, 37, of August’s Abstract. Many stanzas of Sept. Abst., 1577, occur as Aug. Works after harvest in 1580.
5 Migchel. 1577.
6 nere. 1577.
7 goeth. 1577.
8 nere. 1577.
9 lenger. 1577.
10 To lie under mow,
to rot under kow. 1577.
11 This and similar notes under other months do not occur in 1577.
12 This and similar notes under other months do not occur in 1577.
13 liue. 1577.
14 Gelliflowers. 1577.
15 This and similar notes under other months do not occur in 1577.
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