I think it worthy of remark, in view of the mixed complexion which I have given to these wet-day studies, that the oldest printed copy of that sweet ballad of the “Nut Browne Mayde” has come to us in a Chronicle of 1503, which contains also a chapter upon “the crafte of graffynge & plantynge & alterynge of fruyts.”  What could be happier than the conjunction of the knight of “the grenwode tree” with a good chapter on “graffynge”?

Fitz-herbert’s work is entitled a “Boke of Husbandrie,” and counts, among other headings of discourse, the following:—­

“Whether is better a plough of horses or a plough of oxen.”

“To cary out dounge & mucke, & to spreade it.”

“The fyrste furryng of the falowes.”

“To make a ewe to love hir lambe.”

“To bye lean cattel.”

“A shorte information for a young gentyleman that entendeth to thryve.”

“What the wyfe oughte to dooe generally.”

(seq.) “To kepe measure in spendynge.”

“What be God’s commandments.”

By all which it may be seen that Sir Anthony took as broad a view of husbandry as did Xenophon.

Among other advices to the “young gentyleman that entendeth to thryve” he counsels him to rise betime in the morning, and if “he fynde any horses, mares, swyne, shepe, beastes in his pastures that be not his own; or fynde a gap in his hedge, or any water standynge in his pasture uppon his grasse, whereby he may take double herte, bothe losse of his grasse, & rotting of his shepe, & calves; or if he fyndeth or seeth anything that is amisse, & wold be amended, let him take out his tables & wryte the defautes; & when he commeth home to dinner, supper, or at nyght, then let him call his bayley, & soo shewe him the defautes.  For this,” says he, “used I to doo x or xi yeres or more; & yf he cannot wryte, lette him nycke the defautes uppon a stycke.”

Sir Anthony is gracious to the wife, but he is not tender; and it may be encouraging to country-housewives nowadays to see what service was expected of their mothers in the days of Henry VIII.

“It is a wives occupacion to winow al maner of cornes, to make malte, wash & wring, to make hey, to shere corne, & in time of neede to helpe her husbande to fyll the mucke wayne or donge carte, dryve the plough, to lode hay corne & such other.  Also to go or ride to the market to sell butter, chese, mylke, egges, chekens, kapons, hennes, pygges, gees & al maner of corne.  And also to bye al maner of necessary thinges belonging to a household, & to make a true rekening & accompt to her husband what she hath receyved & what she hathe payed.  And yf the husband go to market to bye or sell as they ofte do, he then to shew his wife in lyke maner.  For if one of them should use to disceive the other, he disceyveth himselfe, & he is not lyke to thryve, & therfore they must be true ether to other.”

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