PROOF,

That it is impossible for a Minister and his Wife alone to live honestly on 500 guilders; for he necessarily requires the following annually, in the year 1666.


For Bread	36 - 0 -
For two quarter-measures of Butter with the tax	48 - 0 -
For Cheese, being cow, white, green, sweet-milk, and some warm Cream	4 - 0 -
For a quarter of an Ox, half a Pig, four legs at 2 guilders, eight Chickens at 15 stuivers small Dutch coin, ten pairs of Pigeons at 4 stuivers the pair, thirty-three pounds of Hutspot a traditional Dutch beef and vegetable stew	50 - 0 -
For fresh and salted Fish, Stockfish, Herring	20 - 0 -
For twenty-five pounds of Rice, Oats, and Barley	5 - 10 -
For Peas and Beans, both green and dried	4 - 0 -
For Vegetables, Turnips, and all sorts of Roots and Cabbage	6 - 0 -
One bushel of Buckwheat Flour	3 - 0 -
For 20 pounds of Wheat Flour	2 - 10 -
Apples, Pears, and other Fruit	10 - 0 -
200 Eggs, at 2 guilders per hundred	4 - 0 -
For all sorts of Milk and Cream	10 - 0 -
Pepper, Ginger, Cloves, Mace, and other Spices	9 - 0 -
Sugar and Syrup	3 - 0 -
For all sorts of Salad	2 - 10 -
Half a sack of Salt including tax and delivery	2 - 10 -
Vinegar	2 - 10 -
Olive Oil	2 - 0 -
Eight half-barrels of Beer including tax and delivery	30 - 0 -
One hundred and twenty baskets of Peat including the cost of stacking 27 guilders, and 13 guilders for Wood, together	40 - 0 -
Half an Aem a liquid measure of approximately 150 liters of French Wine including tax and delivery	20 - 0 -
For Light, both Candles and Lamps	12 - 0 -
Mustard and Sulphur matches	1 - 10 -
Soap	7 - 0 -
Starch	2 - 0 -
Pots and all sorts of Earthenware	2 - 0 -
For the Washerwoman and Cleaning woman, including board	12 - 0 -
Files, Brooms, Scrubbing brushes, Lime, Blacking, Scouring sand, and Whetstone	2 - 10 -
For maintenance of Household goods, such as Iron, Copper, Tin, Beds, and Blankets	12 - 0 -
For Postage	1 - 0 -
For Travel money	10 - 0 -
For Doctor, Apothecary, Barber, including shaving, bloodletting, and medicines	10 - 0 -
For Books, Paper, Pens, Ink, and Newspaper	25 - 0 -
For the Poor, 10 guilders a year; it is barely half a stuiver a day. The wife cannot let the Deacons pass her by, as the husband admonishes the congregation to charity in all his sermons. Thus she must be a good role model, or the Deacons might take notice, accuse him of greed, and consequently denounce him as an idolater.	10 - 0 -
Total	421 - 10 -

The Apostle Paul says: he who serves the altar must live from it, the laborer is worthy of his hire, and one must not bind the mouth of the ox that threshes. Why then do we not provide our Spiritual Laborers, who are set as Watchmen over our souls, with an honest salary, so that they may, as is required of them, be hospitable

and appear honestly among the people. One ought to remember that Samuel wore a silk robe, 1 Samuel 28:14.

We shall set out the clothing with its accessories, and specify the same in some detail.


The Man, every two years a suit, costing 40 guilders annually	20 - 0 -
Every 10 years a Mantle of 60 guilders, annually	6 - 0 -
Every 10 years a Gown of 40 guilders, annually	4 - 0 -
Every four years a Shirt of 8 guilders, annually	2 - 0 -
For Summer and Winter Gloves	1 - 0 -
Annually for Shoes and Slippers for them both	8 - 0 -
For stockings and under-stockings for them both	7 - 0 -
For a Hat, annually	3 - 0 -
The Wife, every ten years a Hood of 40 guilders, annually	4 - 0 -
Every 20 years a Cape of 60 guilders, annually	3 - 0 -
Every three years a Skirt of 24 guilders, annually	8 - 0 -
Every three years a Jacket of 18 guilders, annually	6 - 0 -
Every two years a Bodice with sleeves of 12 guilders, annually	6 - 0 -
Every three years a Chest-warmer of 6 guilders, annually	2 - 0 -
Total	80 - 0 -

Here is not yet included ribbons for the breeches, laces for the shoes, knives, jugs, taps, combs, and many things that one cannot think of, so this is for memory.

For Linen Annually.


For Husband and Wife each a Shirt	8 - 0 -
A pair of Bed Sheets	8 - 0 -
For neckerchiefs and Bands	12 - 0 -
For Handkerchiefs for the pocket	3 - 0 -
Two Pillowcases	4 - 0 -
A Bed Sheet	2 - 0 -
Two Napkins	2 - 0 -
Caps, Hoods, and Headcloths	3 - 0 -
For Night neckerchiefs	1 - 0 -
Braiding cords	0 - 6 -
A Drying cloth	0 - 8 -
Cravats and Men’s Caps	2 - 0 -
Total	45 - 14 -


	421 - 10 -
	80 - 0 -
	45 - 14 -
Total	547 - 4 -

And furthermore, other things that are omitted for brevity. It is given for consideration: if a Minister with his Wife alone requires as much as is set forth above, how troubled must they live who are burdened with many children and have no other means of their own.

At Delft, by PIETER DE MENAGIE, right next to the 'Good Hope', 1666. The fifth printing.