49 — ¶ A Lesson for Dairie Maid Cisley, of Ten Toppings GestsE292
(a)
As wife that will
good husband plese,
Must shun with skill
such gests as these.
(b)
So Cisse that serues
must marke this note,
What fault deserues
a brushed cote.
¶ Ten toppings gests vnsent for.
(c)
Gehezie, Lots wife, and Argusses eies,E293
Tom piper, poore Cobler, and Lazarus thies,
Rough Esau, with Mawdlin, and Gentils that scrall,
With Bishop that burneth, thus knowe ye them all.1
(d)
These toppingly gests be in number but ten,
As welcome in dairie as Beares among men.
Which being descried, take heede of2 you shall,
For danger of after claps, after that fall.
¶ White and drie.
1
Gehezie his sicknes was whitish and drie,
such cheeses, good Cisley, ye floted3 too nie.E294
Too salt.
2
Leaue Lot with her piller (good Cisley) alone,
much saltnes in whitemeat is ill for the stone.
Full of eies.
3
If cheeses in dairie haue Argusses eies,
tell Cisley the fault in hir huswiferie lies.4E295
Houen.
4
Tom Piper hath houen and puffed vp cheekes,
if cheese be so houen, make Cisse to seeke creekes.E296
Tough.
5
Poore Cobler he tuggeth his leatherlie trash,
if cheese abide tugging, tug Cisley a crash.E297
Full of spots.
6
If Lazer5 so lothsome in cheese be espied,
let baies amend Cisley, or shift hir aside.E298
Full of heares.
7
Rough Esau was hearie from top to the fut,
if cheese so appeareth, call Cisley a slut.E299
Full of whey.
8
As Mawdlin wept, so would Cisley be drest,
for whey in hir cheeses, not halfe inough prest.
Full of gentils.
9
If gentils be scrauling, call magget the py,E300
if cheeses haue gentils, at Cisse by and by.
Burnt to the pan.
10
Blesse Cisley (good mistris) that Bishop doth ban
for burning the milke of hir cheese to the pan.E301
[11]
If thou (so oft beaten)6
Amendest by this:
I will no more threaten,
I promise thee Cis.
[12]
Thus dairie maid Cisley, rehearsed ye see,
what faults with ill huswife, in dairie house bee.
Of market abhorred, to houshold a griefe,
to maister and mistris, as ill as a thiefe.
Thus Endeth Aprils Husbandrie
6
Amend so oft beaten
for doing amisse. 1577.
Notes
1 With bishop that turneth and burneth up all. 1573 (M.) and 1577.
2 if. 1577.
3 “Floting is taking off the Cream.”—T.R.
4 “Because she did not work the Curd well together.”—T.R.
5 “An inner corruption.... Chiefly occasioned from their using milk soon after calving.”—T.R.