Huswifely admonitions.
Learne you that will thee,
This lesson of mee.
1
No breakefast of custome prouide for to saue,
But onely for such as deserueth to haue.
2
No shewing of seruant what vittles in store,
shew seruant his labour, and shew him no more.
Of hauocke beware,
Cat nothing will spare.
3
Where all thing is common, what needeth a hutch?
Where wanteth a sauer, there hauocke is mutch.
4
Where window is open, cat maketh a fray,
yet wilde cat with two legs is worse by my fay.
Looke well vnto thine,
Slut slouthfull must whine.
5
An eie in a corner, who vseth to haue,
reuealeth a drab, and preuenteth a knaue.
6
Make maide to be clenly, or make hir crie creake,
and teach hir to stirre, when hir mistresse doth speake.
Let hollie wand threate,
Let fisgig be beate.
7
A wand in thy hand, though ye fight not at all,
makes youth to their businesse, better to fall.
8
For feare of foole had I wist, cause thee to waile,
let fisgig be taught, to shut doore after taile.
Too easie the wicket,
Will still appease clicket.
9
With hir that will clicket, make daunger to cope,
least quickly hir wicket, seeme easie to ope.
10
As rod little mendeth, where maners be spilt,
so naught will be naught, say and do what thou wilt.
Fight seldome ye shall,
But vse not to brall.
11
Much bralling with seruant, what man can abide?
pay home when thou fightest, but loue not to chide.
12
As order is heauenly, where quiet is had,
so error is hell, or a mischiefe as bad.
What better a lawe,
Than subiects in awe?
13
Such awe as a warning, will cause to beware,
doth make the whole houshold, the better to fare.
14
The lesse of thy counsell, thy seruants doe knowe,
Their dutie the better, such seruants shall showe.
Good musicke regard,
Good seruants reward.
15
Such seruants are oftenest painfull and good,
that sing in their labour, as birdes in thee wood.
16
Good seruants hope iustly, some friendship to feele,
and looke to haue fauour, what time they do weele.
By once or twise,
Tis time to be wise.
17
Take runagate Robin, to pitie his neede,
and looke to be filched, as sure as thy creede.
18
Take warning by once, that a worse do not hap,
foresight is the stopper of many a gap.
Some change for a shift,
Oft change small thrift.
19
Make fewe of thy counsell, to change for the best,
least one that is trudging infecteth the rest.
20
The stone that is rolling, can gather no mosse,
for maister and seruant, oft changing is losse.
Both liberall sticketh,
Some prouender pricketh.
21
One dog for a hog, and one cat for a mouse,
one readie to giue, is ynough in a house.
22
One gift ill accepted, keepe next in thy purse,
whom prouender pricketh are often the wurse.
