Leechdoms, wortcunning, and starcraft of early England. Being a ...

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XVI
PREFACE.
poor resource is said to have been used in some counties
of England, notwithstanding the
" has made."
" great strides science
Sheep. Sheep were driven to pasture by their shepherd with
his dosrs. and at nis^ht were taken back home and fokled.'
With goats, sheep provided most part of the milk and
cheese consumed in early times ; cow butter is frequently
named in this volume by way of distinction ;
these
smaller beasts were robbed of their milk from the
teats between the hind legs. A Saxon calendar heads
the month of May with a painting representing sheep and
goats under the
shepherds care.
Boar hunting.
Swine. Swine w^ere entrusted to the swineherd, who pastured
them in his masters woods, or on a customary percentage
of the stock,- in the woods of some other pro-.
prietor. He had a perquisite, a sty pig out of the farrow,
with another for his comrade or deputy, besides the
usual dues of servitors.^
A drawing of a purely Saxon type, in a Saxon manuscript,
represents the hunting of the wild boar ;
a thane,
or as we say gentleman, on foot, has some wild pigs,
bristly and yellowish brown, in view ; he carries a long
boar spear, and his left hand rests on the hilt of his
sword, which is to save his life, if the boar charges
he is followed by an unarmed attendant, with a pair
of dogs in a leash, and a hunting horn. The painter
has probably assigned this drawing to the wrong
month.'*
Ilawliing. The same artist has drawn a Saxon gentleman out
a hawking on horseback, with an attendant on foot,
each provided with a haAvk; the wild fowl, ducks or
teal, are in the picture, these the hawk dispatched
'
Coll. :\ron. 20.
- One tliirrl of very fat ones, one
fourth, and one fifth of less fat.
DD. p. 58.
'DD. p. 187.
•
September. To say this painting
represents herding swine is a strange
inaccuracy. No hand is raised to
shake down mast.