“[a] Beside these things I could in like sort set downe the waies and meanes, wherby our ancient ladies of the court doo shun and auoid idlenesse, some of them exercising their fingers with the needle, other in caul-worke, diuerse in spinning of silke, some in continuall reading either of the holie scriptures, or histories of our owne or forren nations about vs, and diuerse in writing volumes of their owne, or translating of other mens into our English and Latine toong, [b] whilest the yoongest sort in the meane time applie their lutes, citharnes, prickesong, and all kind of musike, which they vse onelie for recreation sake, when they haue leisure, and are frée from attendance vpon the quéenes maiestie, or such as they belong vnto. [c] How manie of the eldest sort also are skilfull in surgerie and distillation of waters, beside sundrie other artificiall practises perteining to the ornature and commendations of their bodies, I might (if I listed to deale further in this behalfe) easilie declare, but I passe ouer such maner of dealing, least I should séeme to glauer, and currie fauour with some of them. Neuerthelesse this I will generallie saie of them all, that as [d] ech of them are cuning in somthing wherby they kéepe themselues occupied in the court, so there is in maner none of them, but when they be at home, can helpe to supplie the ordinarie want of the kitchen with a number of delicat dishes of their owne deuising, [e] wherein the Portingall is their chéefe counsellor, as some of them are most commonlie with the clearke of the kitchen, who vseth (by a tricke taken vp of late) [f] to giue in a bréefe rehearsall of such and so manie dishes as are to come in at euerie course throughout the whole seruice in the dinner or supper while: which bill some doo call a [g] memoriall, other a billet, but some a fillet, bicause such are commonlie hanged on the file, and kept by the ladie or gentlewoman vnto some other purpose. But whither am I digressed?” --1577, W. HARRISON, in _Holinshed’s Chronicles_, vol. I. p. 196, ed. 1586. [Sidenotes (all bracketed in original): [[a] Ancient ladies’ employments.] [[b] Young ladies’ recreations.] [[c] Old ladies’ skill in surgery, &c.] [[d] All are cunning [e] in cookery, helped by the Portuguese.] [[f] Introduction of the _Carte_, [g] Memorial, Billet or Fillet.]] [Footnote 1: This MS. contains a copy of “The Rewle of the Moone,” fol. 49-67, which I hope to edit for the Society.] [Footnote 2: The next treatise to Russell in this MS. is “The booke off the gou{er}naunce off Kyngis and Pryncis,” or _Liber Aristotiles ad Alexandrum Magnum_, a book of Lydgate’s that we ought to print from the best MS. of it. At fol. 74 b. is a heading,--