[Sidenote: Take pains, keep measure, and be rich.] Thou husbande, that intendeste to gette thy lyuynge by husbandry, take hede to the sayenge of the wyse phylosopher, the which sayth, _Adhibe curam, tene mensuram, et eris diues_. That is to saye, Take hede to thy charge, 4 kepe measure, and thou shalt be ryche. And nowe to speke of the fyrste artycle of these .iii. s[cilicet] _Adhibe curam_. He that wyll take vpon hym to do any thinge, and be slouthefull, recheles, and not diligent to execute 8 and to performe that thynge that he taketh vpon hym, he shall neuer thryue by his occupation. And to the same entente saythe our lorde in his gospell, by a parable. [Sidenote: [Fol. 7.]] _Nemo mittens manum suam ad aratrum respiciens retro, aptus 12 [Sidenote: Luke ix. 62.] est regno dei._ The spirytuall constructyon of this texte, I remytte to the doctours of dyuynitie, and to the greate clarkes; but to reduce and brynge the same texte to my [Sidenote: No man, putting his hand to the plough, &c.] purpose, I take it thus. There is noo man, puttynge his 16 hande to the plough, lokyng backewarde, is worthy to haue that thynge that he oughte to haue. For if he goo to the ploughe, and loke backewarde, he seeth not whether the plough go in rydge or rayne, make a balke, 20 or go ouerthwarte. And if it do so, there wyll be lyttell [Sidenote: Be not idle.] corne. And so if a man attende not his husbandrye, but goo to sporte or playe, tauerne or ale-house, or slepynge at home, and suche other ydle warkes, he is not than 24 [Sidenote: Do what you came to do.] worthy to haue any corne. And therfore, _Fac quod venisti_, Do that thou comest fore, and thou shalte fynde that thou sekest fore, &c. 8. ¶ Howe a man shulde plowe all maner of landes all tymes of the yere.