il, sheep more profitable for wool, swine more
wholesome of flesh, and goats more gainful to their keepers than here with
us in England? But, to speak of them peculiarly, I suppose that our kine
are so abundant in yield of milk, whereof we make our butter and cheese,
as the like any where else, and so apt for the plough in divers places as
either our horses or oxen. And, albeit they now and then twin, yet herein
they seem to come short of that commodity which is looked for in other
countries, to wit, in that they bring forth most commonly but one calf at
once. The gains also gotten by a cow (all charges borne) hath been valued
at twenty shillings yearly; but now, as land is enhanced, this proportion
of gain is much abated, and likely to decay more and more, if ground arise
to be yet dearer--which God forbid, if it be His will and pleasure. I
heard of late of a cow in Warwickshire, belonging to Thomas Breuer of
Studley, which in six years had sixteen calves, that is four at once in
three calvings and twice twins, which unto many may seem a thing
incredible. In like manner our oxen are such as the like are not to be
found in any country of Europe, both for greatness of body and sweetness
of flesh, or else would not the Roman writers have preferred them before
those of Liguria. In most places our graziers are now grown to be so
cunning that if they do but see an ox or bullock, and come to the feeling
of him, they will give a guess at his weight, and how many score or stone
of flesh and tallow he beareth, how the butcher may live by the sale, and
what he may have for the skin and tallow, which is a point of skill not
commonly practised heretofore. Some such graziers also are reported to
ride with velvet coats and chains of gold about them, and in their absence
their wives will not let to supply those turns with no less skill than
their husbands: which is a hard work for the poor butcher, sith he through
this means can seldom be rich or wealthy by his trade. In like sort the
flesh of our oxen and kine is sold both by hand and by weight as the buyer
will; but in young ware rather by weight, especially for the steer and
heifer, sith the finer beef is the lightest, whereas the flesh of bulls
and old kine, etc., is of sadder substance, and therefore much heavier as
it lieth in the scale. Their horns also are known to be more fair and
large in England than in any other places, except those which are to be
seen among the Paeones, whi