s next in estimation to that of the woman,
for that it helpeth the stomach, removeth oppilations and stoppings of
the liver, and looseth the belly. Some place also next unto it the
milk of the ewe, and thirdly that of the cow. But hereof I can shew no
reason; only this I know, that ewe's milk is fulsome, sweet, and such
in taste as (except such as are used unto it) no man will gladly yield
to live and feed withal.

As for swine, there is no place that hath greater store, nor more
wholesome in eating, than are these here in England, which
nevertheless do never any good till they come to the table. Of these
some we eat green for pork, and other dried up into bacon to have it
in more continuance. Lard we make some, though very little, because it
is chargeable: neither have we such use thereof as is to be seen in
France and other countries, sith we do either bake our meat with sweet
suet of beef or mutton and baste all our meat with sweet or salt
butter or suffer the fattest to baste itself by leisure. In champaign
countries they are kept by herds, and a hogherd appointed to attend
and wait upon them, who commonly gathereth them together by his noise
and cry, and leadeth them forth to feed abroad in the fields. In some
places also women do scour and wet their clothes with their dung, as
other do with hemlocks and nettles; but such is the savour of the
clothes touched withal that I cannot abide to wear them on my body,
more than such as are scoured with the refuse soap, than the which (in
mine opinion) there is none more unkindly savour.

Of our tame boars we make brawn, which is a kind of meat not usually
known to strangers (as I take it), otherwise would not the swart
Rutters and French cooks, at the loss of Calais (where they found
great store of this provision almost in every house), have attempted
with ridiculous success to roast, bake, broil, and fry the same for
their masters, till they were better informed. I have heard moreover
how a nobleman of England not long since did send over a hogshead of
brawn ready soused to a Catholic gentleman of France, who, supposing
it to be fish, reserved it till Lent, at which time he did eat thereof
with great frugality. Thereto he so well liked the provision itself
that he wrote over very earnestly, and with offer of great recompense,
for more of the same fish against the year ensuing; whereas if he had
known it to have been flesh he would not have touched it (I dare say)
for a t