16 — ¶ Septembers Husbandrie
Chap. 15
September blowe soft,
Till fruite be in loft.
Forgotten, month past,
Doe now at the last.1
12
At Mihelmas lightly new fermer comes in,
new husbandrie forceth him new to begin:
Old fermer, still taking the time to him giuen,
makes August to last vntill Mihelmas euen.E70
2
New fermer may enter (as champions say)
on all that is fallow, at Lent ladie day:
In woodland, old fermer to that will not yeeld,
for loosing of pasture, and feede of his feeld.E71
Ferme take or giue over.
3
Prouide against Mihelmas,3 bargaine to make,
for ferme to giue ouer, to keepe or to take:
In dooing of either, let wit beare a stroke,
for buieng or selling of pig in a poke.E72
Twelue good properties.
4
Good ferme and well stored, good housing and drie,
good corne and good dairie, good market and nie:
Good shepheard, good tilman, good Jack and good Gil,
makes husband and huswife their cofers4 to fil.
Haue euer a good fence.
5
Let pasture be stored, and fenced about,
and tillage set forward, as needeth without:
Before ye doe open your purse to begin,
with anything dooing for fancie within.
Best cattle most profit.
6
No storing of pasture with baggedglie tit,
with ragged,5 with aged, and euil athit:6
Let carren and barren be shifted awaie,
for best is the best, whatsoeuer ye paie.
Strong and light.
7
Horse, Oxen, plough, tumbrel, cart, waggon, & waine,
the lighter and stronger, the greater thy gaine.
The soile and the seede, with the sheafe and the purse,
the lighter in substance, for profite the wurse.
Hate borowing.
8
To borow to daie and to-morrow to mis,
for lender and borower, noiance it is:
Then haue of thine owne, without lending vnspilt,
what followeth needfull, here learne if thou wilt.7
* * * The stanzas of No. 16 are continued after the following Digression.