Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. XXIX.

Of the Asse.

NOtwithstanding that the Asse is but a base and contemptible thing, yet he is verie necessarie in euerie Countrey House, because he trauel∣leth and doth his necessarie worke better than if he were greater and more corpulent: as to turne the Mill, to grind the Corne, to beare the Corne to the Mill, and diuers other implements and commodities, as Butter, Cheese, ••nd Creame, to be sold at the Market, and to bring the same or anie other thing backe ••gaine home vpon his backe: to toile the earth that is light, and not strong and stiffe: ••o draw Carts that are not too heauie laden: besides the commoditie of the milke of ••he shee Asse, which is a soueraigne remedie as well for them that be in a consumpti∣on, that be weake, impoisoned, rheumatike, and such other like diseases; as also for to make nea••, to white▪ make tender and smooth the faces of women: as wee read that Poppea the wife of Nero did, vsing bathes to keepe her hew and colour most faire, ••nd her flesh most smooth and white. To let pas••e and to say nothing of the flesh of the Asse, which whiles it is young is verie delicate, and full of pleasant ta••t and sauour 〈◊〉〈◊〉 eating, and for that cause hath sometimes beene of great request in Rome, as also ••n our time in great estimation by a great noble and worthie man in France, who caused a flocke of Asses to be kept and most carefully looked vnto: and in like man∣ner to say nothing of the Hide, whereof there are made verie good sieues to riddle

the corne, as also tabers to daunce by, and drums for the warres. Wherefore the good housholder must appoint him also one to order and gouerne him, vvho notwithstan∣ding shall not be much busied in taking charge of an•• looking to him, seeing he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 verie easie and light to keepe: he is contented vvith a little meat, and that of any sort euen such as one vvill giue him: for some feed him only with leaues, thornes, and thistles: some doe fat him with chaffe and straw, which are commonly found almost in all countries: it is true that he must not be let feed vpon or haue giuen to eate any Hemlocke; for it casteth him into such a sound sleepe, as that he seemeth to be not so much like a blocke, but rather starke dead. If you giue him now and then some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 bread, or millet, it pleaseth him as vvell as a great banket: he looketh not worse, vvhen he is ill handled and curried of him, vvho hath the charge of him: he doth easily endure strokes and hunger, and is not easily tainted of any disease: notwith∣standing the Asse-keeper shall haue care that the She-asse may be couered in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 time, that is to say, from mid March vntill Iune, to the end that foaling about the end of the yeare, it may happen to be in the spring of new Grasse, and the age of the Asse to be couered must be from three yeares to ten: at which time you must giue leaue to the She-asse to run, in regard of the good store of fruit she hath brought forth: but on the contrarie, not to suffer the male to continue out of labour, see••ng that much respeit vvill bring him to an habite of slothfulnesse. He shall suffer the young Asse to sucke it damme vntill it be two yeares old: or else you shall let it such•• a Mare, because it is somewhat better: he shall not set the young Asse to labour be∣fore it be three yeares old, vvhich is the time vvherein you must accustome it to beare burthens, to draw in the plough, and to serue to ride vpon. The Asse that is not a∣boue ten yeres old, nor younger than three, vvhich is great, vvell squared in his parts, hauing sufficient grosse eyes, vvide nosthrills, long necke, broad breast, high shoul∣ders, great backe, a large chyne or crest, great cods, a flat crupper, a short taile, hi•• haire drawing toward the colour of blacke, sleeke, and listed, hauing a blacke marke in the forehead, or all along the bodie, shall be well accounted of. But on the contra∣rie, there is no account to be made of such as haue an ashie coloured haire, or some∣what gray, as the most in this countrie are, and least of all of such as are of a small ••••a∣ture, To be short, he shall be carefull to heale them when they be sicke (although as hath beene said, this beast is not verie subiect to diseases) and that by vsing such re∣medies as he doth vnto horses.

The housholder being a good husband, shall keepe the hide of his Asse, to ••an and dresse to make shooes as vvell for himselfe as for his familie, for as much as shoo•••• made of an Asses skin, and vpon the backe part, whereon the Asse doth carrie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 buthens, are so durable, as that one shall scarce see any end of them, though you vveare them amongst stones, grauell, thornes, or other such like places, notwith∣standing vvith their lasting they grow so hard as that they cannot be worne any more.

The hoofe of an Asse burnt and made in powder doth heale the Falling-sicknesse▪ and that of the vvild Asse hanged about the necke, or set in a ring, in such sort as th•••• it may touch the flesh, is singular good against the said disease, as also against the swim∣ming of the head, which commeth through a weakenesse of the braine. Some thinke that the vvild Asse is that vvhich is called Ellend, and much seene in Polonia, Litu••∣n••a, and Su••cia, and that because that the Ellend hath ••ares like vnto an Asses: the French men which haue trauelled into Polonia, say, that the Ellend doth resemble the Asse i•• nothing but in her eares, as otherwise in all points almost being like 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Hart: hauing a clouen foot, but that he is a great deale bigger, and in ho••••es like vnto a Fallow-Deere.

Although the Asse be mocked of the most because of his long eares, yet notwith∣standing those eares how great soeuer they be, doe serue him to shew his vertue, and to make to appeare his vnderstanding and certaine knowledge which he hath of the change of the weather, seeing that if it will turne to raine, he then laieth them so 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vpon his necke, that one would say they were glued to it.

Notes

• The milke of an Asse good for them in con∣sumptions: and for to make faire the coun∣tenances of wo∣men.
• Rest maketh an Asse alwaies after vnfit for labour.
• The mark••s of a good Asse.
• The diseases of the Asse.
• The Asses-hide.
• The Asses-••oo••e
• The A••••e doth 〈…〉〈…〉.