Thomas Tusser—Agriculture in Rhyme [pp. 723-731]

730 THOMAS TUSSER-AGR1ICULTURE IN RHYME.
In other days, too, it is evident that spinning was no mean
part of'the mistress's avocation, for it is here said "Wife, pluck fro thy seed hemp the fimble hemp clean;
This looketh more yellow, the other more green.
Use t'one for thy spinning, Michell the t'other,
For shoe-thread and halter, for rope and such other:
Now pluck up thy flax for the maidens to spin."
Tusser never seems to have forgotten, on any occasion, to
recommend to the landholder the payment of his just dues;
even the question of tithes, once so obnoxious to the farmer,
was not overlooked by him. He advised his farming brethren to
"To tithe duly and truly, with hearty good will,
That God and his blessing may dwell with thee still;
Though parson neglecteth his duty for this,
Thank thou thy Lord God, and give ev'ry man his."
The Points of Huswifry, united to the Comfort of Husbandry, by
Thomas Tusser, Gentleman, was, it is concluded, first published with The Husbandry in 1561 or 1562. It is written in
rather a more lively style that the former, and has an epistle
dedicatory, "to the right honorable, and nay especiall good
lady and mistress, the Lady Paget," which he thus commences:
"Though danger be mickle,
And favor so fickle;
Yet duty doth tickle
My fancy to write:
Concerning how pretty
How fine and how netty,
Good huswife should jetty
From morning to night."
This work contains an abundance of directions, in his usual
style of versification, for the conduct of household duties. He
directs the servants, before breakfast, to be set to work:
"Let some to peel hemp, or else rushes to twine,
To spin, or to card, or to seething of brine."
At breakfast time the wife was, in those days, the carver
for the farm servants:
"Let huswife be carver, let pottage be heat,
A mess to each one with a morsell of meat."
In the cookery department the now nearly extinct race of
turnspits were indispensable attendants upon the cook:
"Good diligent turnbroche, and trusty withal."
In his washing section he is rather more terse than gentle
in his conclusion:
"Maids, wash well, and wring well, but beat, ye wot how,
If any lack beating, I fear it be you."
In his directions for malt-making he alludes to the use of