l. 799, _Mutton._ Wether mutton was rightly held the best. See “The operacion” below. “¶ Of the Ramme or weddr. Ca. iij. Ysydorus sayth that the ra{m}me or wedder is the lodysman of other shepe / and he is the male or man of the oye, and is stronger than the other shepe / & he is also called a wedder because of a worme that he hath in his hede / & whan that begi{n}neth for to stirre, than wyll he tucke and feght / and he fereth naturally the thonder, as other shepe dothe. For whan a shepe is with frute, hering the thonder, she casteth her frute, and bryngeth it dede to the worlde. and the wedder in the tyme that he bespryngeth the oye, than is it in the tyme of loue amonge the shepe / and the Ra{m}me or wedder wyl feght boldly for theyr wyues one with another.... The Operacion. ¶ The flesshe of a yo{n}ge wether that is gelded is moch better than any other motton / for it is nat so moyste as other motton, and it is hoter, and whan it disgesteth well it maketh gode blode / but the flessh of an oled ra{m}me wyll nat lightely disgest, & that is very euyll.” L. Andrewe, _Noble Lyfe_, Pt. I. sign. b. i. back. l. 800, _Chykon._ On the cocke & hen L. Andrewe discourses as follows: “the Cocke is a noble byrde with a combe on his hed & vnder his iawes / he croweth in {th}e night heuely & light in {th}e morni{n}ge / & is fare herd w{i}t{h} the wi{n}de. The lyon is afrayd of the cocke / & specially of the whyte / the crowyng of the cocke is swete & profitable; he wakeneth {th}e sleper / he conforteth the sorowful / & reioyseth the wakers in tokenynge {tha}t the night is passed.... The flesshe of the coscke is groser tha{n} the flesshe of the he{n}ne or capon. Nota / the olde cockes flesshe is tenderer than the yonge. The capons flesshe is mightiest of all fowles & maketh gode blode. Auicea{n}na. The cokerels flesshe {tha}t neuer crewe is bett{er} than {th}e olde cockes flesshe: the stones be gode for the{m} that haue to light a disiestyon / the brothe of hym is gode for the payn in {th}e mawe {tha}t co{m}meth of wynde.” _Noble Lyfe_, n. i. back. Of the hen, L. Andrewe says: “the he{n}ne is {th}e wyfe of the cocke / & ye shall lay odde egges vnder her for to hatche / ... The flesshe of the yonge he{n}ne or she haue layde / is better than of the olde he{n}ne / also the grese of the cheken is moche hoter than of the he{n}ne.” _Noble Lyfe_, n. i. back. l. 802, _Goose._ “The tame gese ... be heuy in fleinge, gredi at their mete, & diligent to theyr rest / & they crye the houres of y^e night, & therwith they fere y^e theues. In the hillis of alpis be gese as great, nere ha{n}de, as an ostriche: they be so heuy of body that they cannat flee, & so me take them with the hande.... The gose flessh is very grose of nature in disiestion.” _Noble Lyfe_, L. i. back. Part ii. cap. 10.