pimpernell, mercurie, thistles of all sorts, danewort, vvild-fetch, red poppie, vvild
oats, veruaine, blew bottles, ax-fetch, or such other like vnprofitable vveeds, without
forgetting of cockle and darnell, and that which is called rest-harrow, or at the least
some fumitorie and henbane; yet it will be doing of some thing more: as namely,
those which grow out of it of themselues, as stinking mathweed, kexes, rupture-wort
(these be reclaimed grounds) and the herbe called Chamepytis, as I haue sometimes
seene in those countries which properly and truely containe France. For the distin∣guishing
of these herbes, the thistles shew the heat of the ground, as their aromaticall
and odoriferous roots may testifie: the hemlocke, vvild smallage, and fumitorie grow
of putrefaction: the bind-weed, both great and small, do proceed partly of drinesse,
partly of the alteration of the humour: night-shade the great and small doe spring
vp of the cold part of the earth, vvhich they draw from the humour thereof: mercu∣rie
of both sorts, eye-bright also of two or three differing flowers, the small sorrell
red vnderneath, and the three sorts of plantaine do hold of cold or temperate ground:
but the garden and vvater cresses, rockets, wild mustard-seed, as also the two sorts of
vvater-parsley haue differing natures, and are more hot, according to the humo••r
vvhich chey confesse to participate, in respect of their propertie: To be short, these
are certaine dalliances and sports of nature,, vvhich (though she should neuer be hus∣banded
in the earth) would (notwithstanding) yet neuer abide idle, or without do∣ing
something. It is true, that the couch-grasse, and that which is called rest-harrow,
make shew to be more standing tenants, than veruaine, or male knot-grasse, for they
will not away, except the plow and culture (their tyrannous commaunders) doe
come. To conclude, these later hearbes being cut and rooted out by oft and deepe
plowing, must afterward (especially the thistles) be thwacked and beaten small be∣fore
the first raine, that so there may nothing of them (yea, no more than of an Ad∣der)
remaine aliue to breed or increase any thing againe: for their nature is, so soone
as they receiue a little moisture, to fasten and claspe themselues so close to the slime of
the earth, as that they vvill thereby againe so enter new possession, that within a short
time after they vvill become strong ynough to strangle their mother. Let vs there∣fore
conclude, that the earings of the arable ground are to cleanse it from stones and
vveeds, to manure it, to spread and cast abroad the dung or marle, to plow it after
the manner of the first earing, to ••urrow or ditch it, to clod it vvith a roller or board
to couer it: then after some time vvhen the raine hath fallen vpon it, to plow it for
the second earing, which of auncient men is called stirring of it, and this cannot be
done without laying it in furrowes: and the third earing, is to plow it for seed time,
to sow, harrow, and pull vp vveedes, vvhich by aboundance of raine, and too much
rankenesse of the earth, doe ouergrow and enter commons with the new ••hot corne.
And lastly, to mow and lay it bare and naked, to sheare or cut it downe, to sheaue it
and to gather it in. And albeit I here stand much vpon the cleansing of grounds
from stones, which is a verie good husbandrie, and for which by a generall consent
whole lordships and towneships will joyne together, and make (as they terme them
in diuers countries) common daies for common works, yet you must vnderstand that
all soyles are not to be cleansed from stones, but only the clayes and sands which haue
no generall mixture with stones, but as one would say, here a stone and there a stone
scattered seuerally, and not mixt vniuersally; for where the earth and the stones are
of one equall mixture, not abounding more in the one than the other, there to take a∣way
the stones were to impouerish the ground, and make it bare and vndesensible
both against the wind, heat, and cold, as thus, vvhere stones are mixed equally vvith
light sands there they keepe the sand firme about the rootes of the Corne, vvhich,
should they be taken away, the vvind vvould blow the sand away from the corne,
and leaue it drie and bare, by vvhich meanes it vvould neuer sprout; or in those
hillie countries where the reflection of the Sunne is verie hot, and the earth light, if
the stones being generally mixt should be taken away, that violent heat vvould so
scortch and burne the corne, that it vvould seldome or neuer sprout, or neuer prosper:
and againe where the countrie is most cold, and most subject to the bitternesse of