[Sidenote: The author’s protestation.] Be it knowen to all men bothe spirytuall and temporall, that I make protestacion before god and man, that I entende not to wryte any-thynge that is or 52 maye be contrary to the faythe of Chryste and al holy churche. But I am redye to reuoke my sayenge, if any-thynge have passed my mouthe for wante of lernynge, and to submytte my-selfe to correction, and my boke 56 to reformatyon. And as touchynge the poyntes of [Sidenote: [Fol. 90.]] husbandry, and of other artycles conteyned in this present boke, I wyll not saye that it is the beste waye and wyll serue beste in all places, but I saye it is the 60 best way that euer I coude proue by experyence, the [Sidenote: The author’s experience of forty years as a householder.] whiche haue ben an householder this .xl. yeres and more. And haue assaied many and dyuers wayes, and done my dyligence to proue by experyence which shuld 64 be the beste waye.
[Sidenote: The author’s address to his book.] ¶ Go, lyttell quere, and recommende me To all that this treatyse shall se, here, or rede; Prayenge them therwith content to be And to amende it in places, where as is nede: 4 Of eloquence, they may perceyue I want the sede, And rethoryke, in me doth not abounde, Wherfore I have sowe_n_, such sedes as I fou_n_d.
[Sidenote: [Fol. 90_b_.]] [Sidenote: This book was compiled by Master Fitzherbert.]
¶ Thus endeth this ryghte profytable boke of husbandry, compyled sometyme by mayster Fitz-herbarde, of charytie and good zele that he bare to the weale of this mooste noble realme, whiche he dydde not in his youthe, but after he had exercysed husbandry, with greate experyence, xl. yeres.
¶ Imprinted at London in fletestrete, in the house of Thomas Ber- -thelet, nere to the condite at the sygne of Lu- -crece. Cum pri- -uilegio.
[19] The references are to the folios of the original edition. That the reader may find his place more readily, I have _numbered_ each section. The numbers in thick type are, accordingly, not in the original.
[26] Note that the symbol “C.” here does _not_ mean 100, but the _great hundred_, _i.e._ 120.
[27] _Printed_ ewe, _which gives no sense._
[29] _Misprinted_ or horse; _but the catchwords are_ a horse.