"Feareth me," that is, it frightens me, I fear, as in "me liketh" = it pleases me, I like.
[E423] "As good a shrew is as a sheepe," etc. This proverb appears in Epistolæ Hoelianæ, ed. 1754, p. 177, in a letter dated 5th February, 1625-6, as "It is better to marry a shrew than a sheep." In Taylor's Pastorall, 1624, we have "A shrew is better than a sheep."
[E424] William, the first Lord Paget, and the patron of Tusser, married Anne, daughter of Mr. Prestin, of the County of Lancaster; and to her it is most probable the Book of Huswifery was dedicated, and not to Margaret, the daughter of Sir H. Newton, and lady of Thomas, Lord Paget.
[E425] "By their fruits ye shall know them, do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?"
[E426] The rime in the last two lines is most remarkable; apparently thriue is pronounced threev, as Mr. Ellis contends.
[E427] From the last two lines of this stanza it would appear that Tusser was a widower at the time when he wrote this Address to the Reader, or at least when he first wrote on the subject of Huswifery.
[E428] "A description of Huswife," etc. This antithetical description seems to have been introduced, in order that it might correspond with the description of Husbandry, [chapter 8], p. 16.—M.
[E429] According to Fitzherbert, the farmers' wives must have been patterns of diligence and industry, and a variety of duties devolved upon them which have since ceased to be required, or have fallen with more propriety upon the other sex. They had to measure out the quantity of corn to be ground, and see that it was sent to the miller. The poultry, swine, and cows were under their charge; and they superintended the brewing and baking. The garden was peculiarly the care of the farmer's wife. She had to depend upon it for various herbs which are no longer in use, but which could not be dispensed with when spices were rare and costly. Besides pot-herbs, strewing-herbs were required for the chambers, and herbs possessing medical virtues. The list of fruits at this date was confined to a few of indigenous growth, which were but little improved by skill and management. Tusser directs his housewife to transplant into her garden wild strawberries from the woods. All the writers on rural economy during this period recommend the farmer's wife carefully to attend to her crop of flax and hemp. When, however, Fitzherbert asserts that it is a wife's duty "to winnow all manner of corn, to make malt, to wash, and to make hay, shear corn, and, in time of need, help her husband to fill the muck-wain or dung-cart, drive the plough, to load hay, corn, and such other, to go to market and sell butter or pigs, fowls or corn," it is to be presumed that he had in his view the smallest class of yeomen, who had no hired servants.
[E430] "Reason their cace," that is, gossip and argue over their circumstances.
[E431] "Home is home, be it never so ill." Ballad licensed in 1569-70. Clarke (Paræm. 1639, p. 101) has with us, "home is home, be it never so homely." On the other hand, Heywood, in his Epigrams, 1562, says: