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31 Dayes Marsius

MARCH.

IT is now March, and the Northerne Wind dryes up the Southerne dirt; the tender lips are now maskt for fear of chopping, and Pomatum is the Chamber-Maids lip-salve for the wounds of the wind. The soft and delicate hands must not be ungloved; but the good Huswife hasts to the open fields, and bleaches her linnen with the breath of Aeolus, which in dirty De∣cember had gotten the yellow Jaundies, and this is the only time to purge them. The Sun is now risen a pretty step to his faire height, and Saint Valentine calls the Birds together, where Na∣ture is pleased with the variety of love, and the little winged Familists make election of their Mates for building, and keeping of house this Spring. The Fishes, and the Frogs fall to their man∣ner of Generation, leaving the spawn floating upon the face of the Brooks, and the Adder dyes to bring forth her unnaturall frye. Now the Brewer is 〈◊〉 to store the Cellars with March Beer, which brewed in thi• 〈◊〉 keeps excellently well, and hath the honour to be called 〈◊〉 •he Air is sharp but the Sun is comfor∣table and cherisheth the Banks with 〈◊〉 Beame, whilst the boysterous winds purge and saluti••ra•e the grosser Aire. The dayes begin to lengthen apace: the forward Gardens give many a fine Sallet, and a nose-gay of Violets is a present, for a Lady: The Prime-Rose is now in his Prime, and the Trees begin to bud, and the green spices of grasse to peep out of the earth Now is Nature as it were waking out of her sleep; and sends the Tra∣veller to survay the walks of the World. The Farrier now is the Horses Physitian, and horse spice and Diapent• sets the Apothe∣caryes boyes at work. The Thrush and the Blackbird make a charme in the springs that are young and tender: and the fat dog feeds the sharp Faulcon in the Mew. The Milk Maid is up as soon as the Sun, and sings away sorrow to the Cimballs of the Cowes Teats whilst she robs the Calves of the bounty of nature, she with her best beloved talks away tiresomnesse to the Market, and where the meaning is honest kind words doe no hurt. The Foot-ball now tryes the legs of the strongest, and merry marches Page  13 continue good fellowship; but beware of your shins and a bro∣ken leg: In summe, It is a time of much labour, whereof I am about to discourse, and to be short, I hold it the servant of nature and the Schoolmaster of Art; the hope of labour and the subject of Reason.

It is now time, honest Country-man, to make an end of sowing of all sorts of small pulse, and to begin to sow Oats, Barley, and Rye, which is called March-Rye. Graffe all sorts of Fruit-trees, and with young Plants, and Syens replenish your Nurcery. Co∣ver the Roots of all Trees that are bared, and with fat and preg∣nant earth lay them close, and warme. If any Trees grow barren bore holes in the Roots, and drive pins or hard wedges of Oake wood therein, and that will produce fruitfulnesse. Transplant all sort of Summer Flowers, especially the Crown imperiall, Tu∣lips, Hyacinths, and Narcissus of all shapes and colours. Cut downe underwood for fewell and fencing; and look well to your Cowes, for this is the principall time of Calving; and if you would be for a March brood of Chickens, you must be sure to set your Hen in February in the increase of the Moon, so that she may hatch or disclose her Chickens 〈◊〉 •he increase of the next Moon, being in March, and one brood of March chickens is worth three broods of any other, for then you shall have the best largest and most kindly Chickens. You may if you please sett Hens from March till October, and have good Chickens but not after by any meanes, for the Winter is a great enemy to their breeding; yet some will attempt to sett them in Winter-time in Stows or Ovens, but it is of little or no use with us in England, and though it is confest they may by that means bring forth, yet will the chickens be never kindly good, nor profitable, but like the Planting of Lemon, Orange, and Pomegranate Trees in our colder Climate, the fruits whereof come a great deale short of the charges. If you chufe Hens to sett, chuse the eldest for they are constant, and will sett out their times. If you chuse to lay, take the youngest for they are lustier, and prone to the act of en∣gendring, but for neither purpose chuse a fat Hen, for if you sett her shee will forsake her nest, and if you keep her to lay, she will wax sloathfull, and neither delight in the one, nor the other act of nature, such then are fitter for the dish then the Hen-house. Page  14 Turkies in this Month and the next lay all their Eggs, and al∣wayes sit in April when the weather is warme, to bring forth their tender brood.

In this Month the Humours of mans body begin to increase the tenth of it being accounted the beginning of the Spring. Now look to your dyet, for grosse feeding breeds grosse and thick blood, and grosse humours, therefore use meats of good digesti∣on▪ and such as breeds good juyce (which Physitians call Euchy∣mia) and nourisheth the body, as Veal, Lamb, and sucking Rab∣bets, these are good for weak stomacks; Smallage and Nettle Pottage make good blood, and the dyet for the Rheume doth now many a good cure. It is now good to purge, and clarifie the bloud by potions, and to take away a little of the grosser bloud is good to breath the veins, which thereby will have more room for the rest to stir and clarifie it self in, or any such way as the learned Doctors shall prescribe the patient, or as the cause of the disease shall require: also this Month sweet meats and drink are commendable.

Fo• this Months Recreation, it consists of profit as much as Sport: It is either sho••••g or Hunting; shooting in Musquets or Fowling pieces at th• 〈◊〉 cowes and such Vermine as constantly wait upon the yeaning Ewes to pick out the eyes of their new fallen weak and feeble Lambs. To the same end also is the exer∣cise of Hunting the Fox and Badger, which would else hunt the poor, silly Lambs and devout them to Feast his Cubbs. The Fox Chase is pleasant for the time, for so soone as ye have unkenneld him, by reason of his strong Scent there are few or no defaults, but a continued sport if you ob∣serve his Haunts, and stop up his Kennels, and prevent his earthing; the worst is, he runs bad ground either for horse or foot, but the enterprize is noble, and necessary. For the Badger, his is night work, and he is rather baited then hunted adayes. If you look for the Hare you shall be sure to have her in low grounds, for in March she alwayes sets wet bretch.