Such mistress, such Nan,
Such master, such man.

In this rhyming couplet, Tusser expresses a proverbial idea: the character and conduct of servants (here, a maid named “Nan”) tend to reflect the tone set by those who employ them. “Such mistress, such Nan” suggests that a household’s female head shapes the maid’s behavior; “Such master, such man” generalizes the same principle to male servants or dependents. The lines imply that leadership and example within a household are formative—good governance produces good service, while disorder or vice fosters disorder below. The couplet’s balanced parallelism makes it memorable and gives it the ring of a moral maxim, fitting Tusser’s didactic, domestic focus.