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Majus 31 Dayes

MAY.

NOw comes that merry May-day so long expected, hoped, and prayed for of the Fodder-scan•ed Farmer, for now •hall his almost famish'd Beasts break up their tedious Lent; now is his mouth full of thanks, and theirs full of grass; his h•art full of joy, and their bellies full of food. Now gentle Zephyrus fans the sweet Buds, and dripping Clouds water fair Flor•• great Garden; the Sun-beams bring forth fair Blossoms; and the perfumed Ayre refresheth every spirit; the Flowry Queen now brings forth her Wardrobe, and richly Embroyder∣eth her green Apron. The Nymphs of the Woods in consort with the Muses, sing an Ave to the Morning, and a Vale to the Evening. The male Deer puts out the velvet head, and the pagged Doe is near her Fawning. The Sparhawk now is drawn out of the Mew, and the Fowler makes ready his Whistle for the Quail; the Lark sets the Morning Watch, and the Nigh∣tingale the Evening. The beautified Barges keep the Streams of 〈◊〉 •weet Rivers, like so many pleasant Bowers; whilst the dappled Mackarel with the shade of a Cloud is taken prisoner in the Ocean. The tall young Oak is cut down for a May-pole, and the frolick Fry of the Town prevent the rising Sun, and with joy in their faces, and boughs in their hands, they march before it to the place of Erection; and if any kind Sweet-heart left her Maidenhead in a Bush, she has good luck if she finde it again next May-day; The Sythe and the Sick•e are the Mow∣ers furniture; and a moneth of fair Weather makes the La∣bourer merry. The Physitian now prescribes the cold Whey to his Patient, and the Apothecary gathers the Chrystal Dewy Drops for a Medicine. Butter and Sage are now the wholsome Breakfast, but fresh Cheese and Cream are meat for a dainty mouth; the early Peascods and Strawberries want no price with great Bellies; but the Chicken and the Duck are fatted for the Market; the sucking Rabbet is frequently taken in the Nest; and many a Gosling never lives to be a Goose. In a Page  23 word, it is the moneth wherein Nature hath her full of mirth, and the Senses are stored with delights; It is therefore from the Heavens a grace, and to the Earth a gladness; I hold it a sweet and delicate Season, the Variety of Pleasures, and the Paradice of Love.

In the moneth of May, sow Barley upon all light sands and burning grounds, so likewise order your Hemp or Flax, and also all sorts of tender Garden Seeds, as are Cucumbers, and Me∣lons, and all kinde of sweet smelling Herbs, and Flowers; Fallow your stiff Clayes; Summer-stir your mixt earth, and Soil all loose hot sands; prepare all barren earth for Wheat and Rye; Burn Bait, Stub Gorse, and Furres, and Root out Broom and Fern; Begin to Fold your Sheep, lead forth Manure, and bring home Fewel, and Fencing; Weed your Winter Corn, follow your common Works, and put all sorts of Grass either in Pasture, or Teather; You may this moneth also put your Mares to Horse; let nothing be wanting to furnish the Dayrie, and now look and Pot up your Butter; true it is, you may if you please Pot it up at any time betwixt May and September, observing to do it in the coolest time of the morning; yet the most principal season of all is in this moneth of May; so now the Ayr is most temperate, and the Butter will take Salt the best, and be the least subject to reesting.

If during the moneth of May before you Salt your Butter, you save a Lump thereof, and put it into an earthen pan, and so expose it to the Sun during the whole moneth you shall finde it exceeding soveraigne, and medicinable for wounds, strains, aches, and such like grievances.

Now put off all your winter-fed-Cattel, for now they are scarcest, and dearest; Put young Stiers, and dry Kine now to feed at fresh Grass, and away with all Pease-fed Sheep, •or the sweetness of G•as-Mutton will pull down their prizes. You may weed your Gardens, and watch your Bees, which now call upon your care; and so I shall conclude with the old P•o∣verb, Set Sage in May, and it will grow alway.

Now you that set any price by your healths, rise early in the morning, for May does not love any sluggards; Let such as be Page  24 in health, and able, walk into the Fields, and eat and drink be∣times; for it is good and wholsome: Abstain from all meats that be of a hot nature; and for such as be sick, it is a very good time to let blood, or to take Physick; for such as be whole, God keep them in health, and let them use Drinks that will cool, and purge the Blood, and all other such Physical preventions as Art and Observation shall direct them; for such as be sick, God send them good Physick, and learned Physiti∣ans; but above all things, beware of Mountebanks, and old Wives tales; the one hath no Ground, and the other no Truth, but are both nothing but senseless babble, and apparent cousenage.

If you take delight in Angling, I shall here suit your Baits and Fi•h to the moneth, that with the more ease you may fol∣low your Recreation; and therefore know in the first place, If you angle for the Carp, you must have a strong Rod and Line, of at least seven or nine hairs, mixed either with green or wat∣chet silk, your Cork long, large, and smooth, your Lead smooth, and close, and fixed neer the Hook, and the Hook almost of a three-peny compass; he is very dainty to bite, but at some special hours, as very early in the morning, or very late at night, and therefore he must be very much enticed with Paste; His best baits are the Moss-worm, the Red-worm, or the Menew, for he seldome refuseth them, the Endis-worm is good for him next moneth; Let your Paste be of sour Ale, white of Egges, and Bread-crums, this much entiseth him. If you will Angle for the Chub, Chevern, or Trout, all your Instruments must be strong and good; your Rod dark and discoloured, your Line strong, and short, and small too, your Hook of a two-penny compass; and if you angle with a Fly, then nor Lead, nor Cork, nor Quill; if otherwise, then all of an handsome and sutable proportion. Thus much for present, I shall give you a further accompt in the next.