Part 6 (1/2)

{SN: Keeping.} For keeping, lay them in a dry Loft, the longest keeping Apples first and furthest on dry straw, on heapes ten or fourteene dayes, thicke, that they may sweat. Then dry them with a soft and cleane cloth, and lay them thinne abroad. Long keeping fruit would be turned once in a moneth softly: but not in nor immediately after frost. In a loft couer well with straw, but rather with chaffe or branne: For frost doth cause tender rottennesse.

CHAP. 16.

_Of Profits._

Now pause with your selfe, and view the end of all your labours in an Orchard: vnspeakable pleasure, and infinite commodity. The pleasure of an Orchard I referre to the last Chapter for the conclusion: and in this Chapter, a word or two of the profit, which thorowly to declare is past my skill: and I count it as if a man should attempt to adde light to the Sunne with a Candle, or number the Starres. No man that hath but a meane Orchard or iudgement but knowes, that the commodity of an Orchard is great: Neither would I speake of this, being a thing so manifest to all; but that I see, that through the carelesse lazinesse of men, it is a thing generally neglected. But let them know, that they lose hereby the chiefest good which belongs to house-keeping.

Compare the commodity that commeth of halfe an acre of ground, set with fruit-trees and hearbs, so as is prescribed, and an whole acre (say it be two) with Corne, or the best commodity you can wish, and the Orchard shall exceed by diuers degrees.

{SN: Cydar and Perry.} In _France_ and some other Countries, and in _England_, they make great vse of Cydar and Perry, thus made: Dresse euery Apple, the stalke, vpper end, and all galles away, stampe them, and straine them, and within 24.

houres tun them vp into cleane, sweet, and sound vessels, for feare of euill ayre, which they will readily take: and if you hang a poakefull of Cloues, Mace, Nutmegs, Cinamon, Ginger, and pils of Lemmons in the midst of the vessell, it will make it as wholesome and pleasant as wine. The like vsage doth Perry require.

These drinks are very wholesome, they coole, purge, and preuent hot Agues. But I leaue this skill to Physicians.

{SN: Fruit.} The benefit of your Fruit, Roots and Hearbs, though it were but to eate and sell, is much.

{SN: Waters.} Waters distilled of Roses, Woodbind, Angelica, are both profitable and wondrous pleasant, and comfortable.

{SN: Conserue.} Saffron and Licoras will yeeld you much Conserues and Preserues, are ornaments to your Feasts, health in your sicknesse, and a good helpe to your friend, and to your purse.

He that will not be moued with such vnspeakable profits, is well worthy to want, when others abound in plenty of good things.

CHAP. 17.

_Ornaments._

Me thinks. .h.i.therto we haue but a bare Orchard for fruit, and but halfe good, so long as it wants those comely Ornaments, that should giue beauty to all our labours, and make much for the honest delight of the owner and his friends.

{SN: Delight the chiefe end of Orchards.} {SN: An Orchard delightsome.} {SN: An Orchard is Paradise.} {SN: Causes of wearisomnesse.} {SN: Orchard is the remedy.} For it is not to be doubted: but as G.o.d hath giuen man things profitable, so hath he allowed him honest comfort, delight, and recreation in all the workes of his hands. Nay, all his labours vnder the Sunne without this are troubles, and vexation of mind: For what is greedy gaine, without delight, but moyling, and turmoyling in slauery?

But comfortable delight, with content, is the good of euery thing, and the patterne of heauen. A morsell of bread with comfort, is better by much then a fat Oxe with vnquietnesse. And who can deny, but the princ.i.p.all end of an Orchard, is the honest delight of one wearied with the works of his lawfull calling? The very workes of, and in an Orchard and Garden, are better then the ease and rest of and from other labours.

When G.o.d had made man after his owne Image, in a perfect state, and would haue him to represent himselfe in authority, tranquillity, and pleasure vpon the earth, he placed him in _Paradise_. What was _Paradise_? but a Garden and Orchard of trees and hearbs, full of pleasure? and nothing there but delights. The G.o.ds of the earth, resembling the great G.o.d of heauen in authority, Maiestie, and abundance of all things, wherein is their most delight? and whither doe they withdraw themselues from the troublesome affaires of their estate, being tyred with the hearing and iudging of litigious Controuersies? choked (as it were) with the close ayres of their sumptuous buildings, their stomacks cloyed with variety of Banquets, their eares filled and ouerburthened with tedious discoursings? whither? but into their Orchards? made and prepared, dressed and destinated for that purpose, to renue and refresh their sences, and to call home their ouer-wearied spirits. Nay, it is (no doubt) a comfort to them, to set open their Cazements into a most delicate Garden and Orchard, whereby they may not onely see that, wherein they are so much delighted, but also to giue fresh, sweet, and pleasant ayre to their Galleries and Chambers.

{SN: All delight in Orchards.} And looke, what these men do by reason of their greatnes and ability, prouoked with delight, the same doubtlesse would euery of vs doe, if power were answerable to our desires, whereby we shew manifestly, that of all other delights on earth, they that are taken by Orchards, are most excellent, and most agreeing with nature.

{SN: This delights all the senses.} For whereas euery other pleasure commonly filles some one of our senses, and that onely, with delight, this makes all our sences swimme in pleasure, and that with infinite variety, ioyned with no lesse commodity.

{SN: Delighteth old age.} That famous _Philosopher_, and matchlesse Orator, _M.T.C._ prescribeth nothing more fit, to take away the tediousnesse and heauy load of three or foure score yeeres, then the pleasure of an Orchard.

{SN: Causes of delight in an Orchard.} What can your eye desire to see, your eares to hear, your mouth to tast, or your nose to smell, that is not to be had in an Orchard, with abundance and variety? What more delightsome then an infinite variety of sweet smelling flowers? decking with sundry colours, the greene mantle of the Earth, the vniuersall Mother of vs all, so by them bespotted, so dyed, that all the world cannot sample them, and wherein it is more fit to admire the Dyer, then imitate his workemans.h.i.+p. Colouring not onely the earth, but decking the ayre, and sweetning euery breath and spirit.

{SN: Flowers.} The Rose red, damaske, veluet, and double double prouince Rose, the sweet muske Rose double and single, the double and single white Rose.