The English house-vvife Containing the inward and outward vertues which ought to be in a compleate woman. As her skill in physicke, surgery, cookery, extraction of oyles, banqueting-stuffe, ordering of great feasts, preseruing of all sorts of wines, conceited secrets, distillations, perfumes, ordering of wooll, hempe, flax, making cloth, and dying, the knowledge of dayries, office of malting, of oates, their excellent vses in a family, of brewing, baking, and all other things belonging to an houshold. A worke generally approued, and now the fourth time much augmented, purged and made most profitable and necessary for all men, and the generall good of this kingdome. By G.M.

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When our Malster hath thus persited the Malt house and Kilne, then next looke to the well bedding of the Kilne, which is diuersly done according to mens diuers opinions; for some vse one thing, and some another, us the necessity of the place, or mens particular profits draw them.

But first to shewe you what the bedding of a Kilne is, you shall vnderstand, that it is a thinne couering laid vpon the open rafters, which are next vnto the heate of the fire; being made either so thinne or so open, that the smallest heate may passe thorow it, and come to the corne: this bed must be laid so euen and le∣uell as may be, and not thicker in one place then ano∣ther, least the Malt drie too fast where it is thinnest, and too slowly where it is thicke, and so in the taste seeme to bee of two seuerall dryings: it must also be made of such stuffe, as hauing receiued heate, it will long continue the same, and be an assistant to the fire in drying the corne: it should also haue in it no moyst or dankish propertie, least at the first receiuing of the fire, it send out a stinking smoke, and so taint the malt: nor should it be of any rough or sharpe substance, be∣cause vpon this bed or bedding is laid the haire-cloth, and on the haire-cloth the malt, so that with the turning the malt, and treading vpon the cloth, should the bed be of any such roughnesse, it would soone weare out the haire-cloth, which would be both

losse and ill House-wifery, which is carefully to be es∣chewed.

But now for the matter or substance whereof this bidding should be made, the best, nearest, and sweetest, is cleane long Rye straw, with the eares onely cut off, and the ends layd euen together, not one longer then another▪ and so spread vpon the rafter of the Kilne as euen and thinne as may be, and layd as it were straw by straw in a iust proportion, where skill and industry may make it thin or thicke at pleasure, as but the thick∣nesse of one straw, or of two, three, foure or fiue, as shall seeme to your iudgement most conuenient, and then this, there can be nothing more euen, more drye, sweete, or open to let in the heate at your pleasure: and although in the olde open Ki••nes it be subiect to daun∣ger of fire, by reason of the quickenesse to receiue the flame, yet in the French Kilnes (before mentio∣ned) it is a most safe bedding, for not any fire can come neere vnto it. There bee others which bed the Ki••ne with Mat; and it is not much to bee misliked, if the Mat be made of Rye straw sowed, and wouen together according to the manner of the Indian Mats, or those vsuall thinne Bent Mats, which you shall commonly see in the Summer time, standing in Hus∣bandmens Chimneyes, where one bent or straw is layde by another, and so wouen together with a good strong packe-thread: but these M••••s according to the o••de Prouerbe (More cost more Worshippe) for they are chargeable to b••e bought, and very trouble∣s••me in the making, and in the wearing will not out∣last one of the former loose beddings; for fo••••e thread or stitch breake, immediately most in that ••owe will followe: onely it is most certaine, that during the

time it lasteth it is both good, necessary and handsome. But if the matt be made either of Bulrushes, Flaggs, or any other thicke substance (as for the most part they are) then it is not so good a bedding, both be∣cause the thicknesse keepeth out the heate, and is long before it can be warmed; as also in that it euer be∣ing cold, naturally of it selfe draweth into it a cer∣taine moysture, which with the first heate being ex∣pelled in smoke, doth much offend and breed ill taste in the malt. There be others that bed the Kilne with a kinde of matt made of broad thinne splints of wood wrought checker-wise one into another, and it hath the same faults which the thicke matt hath; for it is long in catching the heate, and will euer smoke at the first warming, and that smoke will the malt smell on euer after; for the smoke of wood is euer more sharpe and piercing then any other smoke whatsoe∣uer. Besides this wooden matt, after it hath once bedded the Kilne, it can hardly afterward bee taken vp or remoued; for by continuall heate, being brought to such an extreame drienesse, if vpon any occasion either to mend the Kilne, or clense the Kilne, or doe other necessary labour vnderneath the bedding, you shall take vp the wooden matt, it would presently cracke and fall to pieces, and be no more seruiceable. There be others which bed the Kilne with a bedding made all of wickers, of small wands foulded one into another like a hurdle, or such like wand-worke; but it is made very open, euery wand at least two or three fingers one from another▪ and this kind of bedding is a very strong kind of bedding, and will last long, and catcheth the h••at ••t the fi••st springing, onely the smoke is offensiue, and the ••ou••••nesse without great care vsed,

will soone weare out your haire-cloth: yet in such pla∣ces where straw is not to be got or spared, and that you are compelled onely to vse wood for your fuell in dry∣ing your Malt, I allow this bedding before any other, for it is very good, strong and long-lasting: besides, it may be taken vp & set by at pleasure, so that you may sweepe and clense your Kilne as oft as occasion shall serue, and in the neate and fine keeping of the Kilne, doth consist much of the Hous-wiues Art; for to be choakt either with dust, durt, soote or ashes, as it shewes sluttishnesse and sloth, the onely great imputations hanging ouer a Hous-wife, so they likewise hinder the labou••, and make the malt dry a great••deale worse, and more vnkind∣ly.