: The Book of Husbandry by Fitzherbert Anthony Skeat Walter W Walter William Editor - Conduct of life; Agriculture England; Home economics Rural

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THE TABLE 3

THE BOOK OF HUSBANDRY 9

NOTES 127

GLOSSARIAL INDEX 149

INTRODUCTION.

One question of chief interest respecting the volume here printed is--who was the author? We know that his name was "Mayster Fitzherbarde" , and the question that has to be settled is simply this--may we identify him with Sir Anthony Fitzherbert, judge of the Common Pleas, the author of the Grand Abridgment of the Common Law, the New Natura Brevium, and other legal works?

The question has been frequently discussed, and, as far as I have been able to discover, the more usual verdict of the critics is in favour of the supposed identity; and certainly all the evidence tends very strongly in that direction, as will, I think, presently appear.

Indeed, when we come to investigate the grounds on which the objections to the usually received theory rest, they appear to be exceedingly trivial; nor have I been very successful in discovering the opposed arguments. Bohn's edition of Lowndes' Bibliographer's Manual merely tells us that "the treatises on Husbandry and Surveying are by some attributed to the famous lawyer Sir Anthony Fitzherbert, by others to his brother John Fitzherbert."

In the Catalogue of the Huth Library, we find this note: "The Rev. Joseph Hunter was the first person to point out that the author of this work and the book on Surveying was a different person from the judge of the same name." It will be at once observed that this note is practically worthless, from the absence of the reference. After considerable search, I have been unable to discover where Hunter's statement is to be found, so that the nature of his objections can only be guessed at.

I cannot find that there is any reason for assigning the composition of the Book of Husbandry to John Fitzherbert, Sir Anthony's brother. It is a mere guess, founded only upon the knowledge that Sir Anthony had such a brother. It looks as though the critics who wish to deprive Sir Anthony of the honour of the authorship think they must concede somewhat, and therefore suggest his brother's name by way of compensation.

We have no proof that John Fitzherbert ever wrote anything, whilst Sir Anthony was a well-known author. All experience shows that a man who writes one book is likely to write another.

When we leave these vague surmises and come to consider the direct evidence, nearly all difficulties cease. And first, as to external evidence.

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