50 — ¶ Maies Abstract
Chap. 39
1
Put lambe from eawe,
to milke a feawe.
2
Be not too bold,
to milke and to fold.
3
Fiue eawes alow,
to euerie cow.
4
Shéepe wrigling taile
hath mads without faile.
5
Beat hard in the réede
where house hath néede.
6
Leaue cropping from May
to Mihelmas day.
Let Iuie be killed,
else trée will be spilled.
7
Now threshers warne
to rid the barne.
8
Be suer of hay
till thend of May.
9
Let shéepe fill flanke,
where corne is too ranke.
In woodland leuer,1
in champion neuer.
10
To wéeding away,
as soone as yée may.
11
For corne here réede,E302
what naughtie wéede.
12
Who wéeding slacketh,
good husbandrie lacketh.
13
Sowe buck or branke,
that smels so ranke.
14
Thy branke go and sowe,
where barlie did growe.
The next crop wheat
is husbandrie neat.
15
Sowe pescods some,
for haruest to come.
16
Sowe hemp and flacks,
that spinning lacks.
17
Teach hop to clime,
for now it is time.
18
Through fowles & wéedes
poore hop ill spéedes.
Cut off or crop
superfluous hop:
The titters or tine
makes hop to pine.2
19
Some raketh their wheat,
with rake that is great.
So titters and tine
be gotten out fine.
20
Now3 sets doe craue
some wéeding to haue.
21
Now draine as ye like
both fen and dike.
22
Watch bées in May,
for swarming away.
Both now and in June,
marke maister bées tune.
23
Twifallow thy land,
least plough else stand.
24
No longer tarrie,
out compas to carrie.
25
Where néede doth pray it,
there sée ye lay it.
26
Set Jack and Jone
to gather vp stone.
27
To grasse with thy calues,
take nothing to halues.E303
28
Be suer thy neat
haue water and meat.
29
By tainting of ground,
destruction is found.
30
Now carrege get
home fewell to fet.
Tell fagot and billet
for filching gillet.E304
31
In sommer for firing
let citie be buying.
Marke colliers packing
least coles be lacking.
(Sée opened sack)
for two in a pack.
32
Let nodding patch
go sléepe a snatch.
33
Wife as4 you will,
now plie your still.
Fine bazell5 sowe,
in a pot to growe.
Fine séedes sowe now,
before ye sawe how.
35
Kéepe ox from cow,
for causes ynow.
Thus Endeth Maies Abstract, Agréeing With Maies Husbandrie
¶ Two Other Short Remembrances
[36]
From bull cow fast
till Crowchmas6 be past.
From heifer bul hid thée
till Lammas7 doth bid thée.
Here Ends Maies Short Remembrances
* * * Sts. 14, 15, 19, are not in 1577.
Notes
1 euer. 1577.
2 now take out fine. 1577.
3 New. 1577.
4 yf. 1577.
5 Bezell. 1577.
6 Saint Helens daie (side note).
7 August (side note).
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