FOr asmuche as I se that most mē in theyr sience be diligent and circumspecte as craftes men in their occupacions dooe exquisitly laboure and searche out the knowledge not onely of workemanshippe and con­nynge: but as well of the order and preseruinge of the stuffe and mater whereof they shall frame and fassi­on theyr worke, ye and when it is wrought and finished, to the perfec­tion of theyr forecaste or imagina­tion: they do not lyghtly and negli­gently regard the same worke, But lyke as they dyd before studye to bring to passe and to performe their workemanshippe and take paynes in practisynge thereof: Euen so wil they studie and loke for the preser­uacion of the same that the thynge where wyth they haue so muche la­boured & broken theyr witte should not by slouth and rechelesse lokeing to, be suffered to decaye in a shorte [Page] space: I maruaile therfore that you who are of y^e most high science or ar­tifice y^e as ye say your selues are not workres only of worldli thiges. But also the workers of the great worke man & makers of the greate maker whom ye can make & fassiō at your owne wyl and pleasures: wil not re­garde the workes y^e ye make (which oughte moste worthily to be preser­ued from anye dispayre or corrupti­on (if it be as you saye) but let your gods whom ye haue made corrupt, molde, stinke, rotte, muste, cleaue to­gether bred wormes w^t diuerse other mishappes, as some time to be eaten of a mouse, ratte or munkay & to be borne away of robin redbrest or philip Sparowe the whiche woulde greue any manes or womans hert (whoe beleuethe in the same greate God of youre makeinge) and cau­seth many to forsake y^e fayth which they had in him and all thys is by youre owne foly and slender ouer­sight. [Page] Wherefore yeare much wor­thy disprayse amonge al other craf­tes men. Men se dayly how the ap­pothecaries and grossers in theyr occupiynges haue waies and mea­nes to cōserue and preserue diuerse thynges as fruites rotes & herbes.

Thei preserue Damasene prunes, cheres, Quinces, peachis, peares, Oliues, Cappars, Orenges wal­nuttes, melons, Citrones & manye other thynges wherin they be wor­thie to be cōmendid & ye cōtrariwise are worthy to be discōmendid, yea rather to be greately: punished be­cause, ye be no more studious in y^e p̄seruing of youre God frō filthe and putrifactiō. The which god you say is not only y^e creator of herbes frui­tes rotes & al other like? but aswel of y^e appoticaries & grossers thē selues & all other, yea & y^e creator & maker of you also. Though you make him whi do ye not therfore find sōe wais how to kepe him swet, but let him pe­rishe [Page] so vilely howe wyll you haue men to beleue in hym as in a God when ye youre selues set so lyght by him that he wyll not take the paine to kepe hym swete and cleane from filthines.

And thoughe ye can make newe when the olde be rotten and burned or buried, yet I woulde not haue you so rechels and slouenly aboute them as ye be al the sorte of you, but to be as net fyne and Ielous ouer them as ye maye be, leste the people (seinge youre slouenly and sowter­ly faction aboute them) regard no­ther youre goddes nor you that are the makers of them.

And because ye shall the easlier and soner attayne the knowledge of the preseruacion of them: I inted in thys lytell worke to prescribe to you the order therof wherby ye may also auoide and put by the hanous infamy obloquie & slaunder whych both your godes & you the makers [Page] of thē do daiely sustayne and heare, (I feare me) to youre vtter exinani­cion, and derogation of all youre greate power of God makinge and to thentent that ye maye the rather find the waies to preuente the same I haue composed thys lytell boke for you to beare in youre handes or in your bosomes as a necessary v­tensile concerninge youre craft and occupacion, wherein be conteyned these rules folowinge.

❧ Firste it is requisite that ye shoulde knowe whether the wafer maker be an honest man, & of good conscience, and cōnyng in the feate, or no, for by his vncōninge or coue­tousnes he maye be a great cause of the decaye of thē. As if he make thē of musty wheate, or make hys bat­ter to thynne for couetuousnes. Or if by rechelesnes take not head whether hys Irons be hote inoughe or to coulde, for so by slackenes of ba­kynge maye they be the souer mu­stys [Page] and hore mouldyd.

Item ye shal haue a close boxe to put them in and that shal ye sette in youre chimneis ende to kepe them drye til ye shall cōsecrate them. And this is to be done in y^e winter quar­ter, or rainy and foggy whether.

Item ye must chose of the fairest roundest and whighteste, or elles if neade be ye maye clip them rounde with a payer of sheres, or pare them with a sharpe knife. The clippinge or paringes whereof, maye paruen­ture be a refreshing to youre clarke or to the boye that healpeth you to saye Masse.

Item it shalbe neadefull for you when ye be in consecratyng, to blow or breath as nicely and featly as ye may deuise, leste by youre much brethinge and anhelation ye myght ir­roate & enmyst themso much, y^e they shall neuer be swete or good after.

Item it behoueth not hym that hath a stinkinge breath or pthisike [Page] or aposteme in hys longes or sto­make, or hath the pokkes to blowe or breath so much on thē as he that hath not, for by such stinkinge exhalacions and out breathinges youre goddes are so corrupte and infecte, that they be corrupted and infectu­ous both to body and soule of them that eate them as their God.

Itē ye ought (as neare as ye may) to consecreate on a fayre cleare & sū ny day for if the aire be moist darke or misty they will become the soner fautie. And what by corrupte brea­thynge and whether together, they may be so muche danke and soddy, that they wyll neuer be broughte to good, and so your laboure conning stuffe and all is but loste.

Item it will become you to loke to them often, leaste they ron to far into putrificacion. Prouided alway that ye do it in cleare whether.

Item remēber y^e ye torne thē & re­moue them; for cleauyng together

Item if it be so y^e they be molde of any thing clāmy (as ofte times they be) ye shal carie thē into the churche yard or into some gardē or vpon the leades of the church, and laye thē a­brode one by one vpon a fayre cloth to take the sun and then bestowe thē vp agayne.

Itē ye must prouide a net of silke or fine threde to leye on them in the time of driynge and also to wache warely for feare that birdes should take any of them awaie.

Item ye must consider the wind whither it be great or in what quarter it bloweth. For some wyndes be infectuous more then some, as the southe, south weste, or southest & to take heade y^e none of them be blowē awaie with the wind, for they be but light and of smale substaunce.

Item ye must marke wel y^e nūbre of thē, y^e ye may put into the pixt as many as ye take out, and so shall ye be sure that ye haue lost none of thē [Page] Item you shal remember y^e ye must all wayes haue an od God, for they maye not be euen in numbre.

Item if they be mold or musty or grene or euil coloured, ye shal wype thē w^t a fine cloth vpō a fram made of four stickes & ley thē on it one by one eche one by him selfe & hold the same frame ouer a chafingedishe of coles into y^e which coles ye shal cast the pouder of brimstone which wyll make thē white againe but ye must remember to torne them oft.

Item it shalbe cōuement for you to know how to preserue thē frō mites or wormes which thing ye may wel do if it be possible on this wise. Ye shal anoint or rub the inner side of y^e pixt or cup wherein, ye kepe thē w^t a lytel wormwode, tansey or rue, in time of yere whē ye may haue the herbes. And when ye can not cume by the herbes conueniently, thē shal ye take a litel of the pouder of min­tes and strewe amonge them, or the [Page] pouder of coloquintida whyche is white & wil agre wel w^t the colour of thē & wyl not suffer anye wormes to breade where it is, by the meanes of the bitternes thereof.

Item ye shal take good hede and remēber vnto whom and what per­sons these that be so trimmed ought to be ministred for if ye shall mini­ster them to heal they and well ta­sting persons it wil be easily espied, and may peraduentre cause thē to spit them out agayne whereof may arise diuerse in conueniences wher­fore ye shall all waye kepe them for sicke folke and suche as can not sa­uoure thinges wel in ther mouthes (for they wyl impute it to their euyl tast) ye & it may so proue that they maye the soner recouer theyr health for by y^e bitternes & proprietie ther­of they beynge prouoked to laxe or vomite may eiecte and cast out such humors as be the cause of their sicknes & so become hole whcihe thinge [Page] the comon people wyll repute as a greate miracle and giue much glo­ry to your goddes therefore.

Item to auoyde the mishappes that might betide them by vermyne as mouse, rat, wesel, munkay or spaniel ye must be circūspecte and take hede on euery hand especially when ye take them out or put them in the boxe and loke that ye leaue none a­brode, for ofte tymes it hath be sene that they haue benne deuoured by suche meane and wyth suche kynde of vermine.

Item ye oughte to caste an eye to­ward your God when ye be in your bisy memento & after the leuation, for whilse ye wincke and hold your handes before youre nose and eies, it may chaunce some robin redbrest (whiche amonge all other birdes is most hardy, sauce, pert and homely) to season vpon it & flie away cleane therewith whiche done ye knowe in what perilous and daungerous case [Page] ye stande in. Wherefore it standeth in youre hande to be well ware and wise therof.

Itē if ye haue any tame sparowe or other thinge which is familier with you, take good hede to them or eles leaue them at home for the time, for straunge things hath happened by suche, to the disworshippe of youre goddes.

Item haue in minde that whyle he lieth on the altare, ye set the fote of the chalice vpon the edg of your God, lest the wind by whipynge so­denly get vnder him & blowe him a way or about the chauncel to youre shame & dishonour of your goddes which he defēd that dwelleth in the pixt aboue, dayly sensing in & out bi a stryng betwene the altare and the roffe, to whom be honoure worship and prayse worthye Amen.

If any or al of these wil not healpe: then ye must vse your olde order of burning, or buriyng of them, wher­in [Page] I know wel ye be expert inough and so well practised y^e I nede not to instruct you ther in, or shewe you any thyng therto belonginge.

☞ These haue I wryttē to you vn­desired to thend that ye shoulde a­uoyde slannder and infamy. More shal ye haue shortly God willinge, the whiche I thinke wilbe very ne­cessary for you. And be you assured that as long as I am able to wryte say or do: ye shal not fayle of healp or ayde after the blout sorte as ye se I haue shewed in this litel treatise, the which I doubt not ye wil acept none other wise thē I iudge in you to do, for sure I am that ye forget me not in your prayers and benedi­tions, wherein ye be more besy and deuout then I woulde ye should be for my parte. Neuerthelesse I trust I spede not the worsse for them but the better, by defēce and goodnes of the Lord Iesus Christe, who sitteth on the right hand of God the father [Page] with the holy gost and from thence shall come a very man vnite wythe his godhead, to iudge all the world in whose sight al vile false and stinkyng godes and Idoles with their worshippers and makers shalbe cō founded, And vnto him with the father and the holy spirite be ho­noure and praise for euer and euer and to all that beleue only in hym eternal ioye thorowe the same Lorde Iesus Christe. A­men.