Early English Meals and Manners Part 23

[Sidenote: Fold the two ends of your towel, and one of the cloth, a foot over, and lay it smooth for your lord to wash with.]

Thus all{e} iij. end{es} hold ye at onis, as ye well{e} may; now fold ye all{e} ther{e} at oonys {a}t a pli?t pa.s.se not a fote brede all{e} way, an lay hyt fayr{e} & evyn er{e} as ye can hit lay; us aft{ur} mete, ?iff yowr{e} mastir will{e} wasch{e}, at he may. 244

[Sidenote: The marshal must slip it along the table, and pull it smooth.]

at e ri?t ende of e table ye must it owt gyde, e marchall{e} must hit convey along{e} e table to glide; So of all{e} iij clothes vppeward e ri?t half at tide, and at it be draw strayt & evyn boe in length{e} & side. 248

[Sidenote: Then raise the upper part of the towel, and lay it even, so that the Sewer (arranger of dishes) may make a state.]

Then must ye draw & reyse / e vpper p{ar}te of e towell{e}, Ley it w{i}t{h}-out ruffelyng{e} strei?t to at o{er} side, y e telle; an at eu{er}y end {er}of convay half a yarde or an elle, at e sewer{e} may make[A] a state / & plese h{i}s mastir well{e}. 252

[Text note A: _make_ is repeated in the MS.]

[Sidenote: When your lord has washed, take up the Surnape with your two arms, and carry it back to the Ewery.]

whan e state hath wasch{e}, e surnap drawne playne, en must ye ber{e} fore e surnape befor{e} your{e} souerayne, and so must ye take it vppe with{e} your{e} armes twayne, and to e Ewery bere hit your{e} silf agayne. 256

[Sidenote: Carry a towel round your neck. Uncover your bread; see that all diners have knife, spoon, and napkin.]

a-bowt your{e} nekke a towell{e} ye ber{e}, so to s{er}ue your{e} lorde, an to hym make curtesie, for so it will{e} accorde.

vnkeu{er} your{e} brede, & by e salt sette hit euyn on e borde; looke er{e} be knyfe & spone / & napkyn w{i}t{h}-outy[{n}] any worde. 260

[Sidenote: Bow when you leave your lord. Take eight loaves from the bread-cloth, and put four at each end.]

Eu{er} whan ye dep{ar}te from your{e} sou{er}aigne, looke ye bowe yo{ur} knees; [Fol. 174b.]

to e port-payne[48] forth{e} ye pa.s.se, & er{e} viij. loues ye leese: Set at eiur end of e table .iiij. loofes at a mese, an looke at ye haue napkyn & spone eu{er}y p{er}sone to plese. 264

[Sidenote: Lay for as many persons as the Sewer has set potages for, and have plenty of bread and drink.]

wayte well{e} to e Sewer{e} how many potag{es} keuered he; keu{er} ye so many p{er}sonis for your{e} honeste.

an serve forth{e} your{e} table / vche p{er}sone to his degre, and at {er} lak no bred / trenchour{e}, ale, & wyne / eu{er}mor{e} ye se. 268

[Sidenote: Be lively and soft-spoken, clean and well dressed.

Don't spit or put your fingers into cups.]

be glad of cher{e} / Curteise of kne / & soft of speche, Fayr{e} hand{es}, clene nayles / honest arrayed, y the teche; Coughe[*] not, ner spitte, nor to lowd ye reche, ne put your{e} fyngurs in the cuppe / moot{es} for to seche. 272

[Footnote *: Mark over _h_.]

[Sidenote: Stop all blaming and backbiting, and prevent complaints.]

yet to all{e} e lord{es} haue ye a sight / for groggy{n}g{e} & atwytyng{e}[49]

of fellows at be at e mete, for eir{e} bakbytyng{e}; Se ey be s{er}ued of bred, ale, & wyne, for complaynyng{e}, and so shall{e} ye haue of all{e} men / good loue & praysyng{e}. 276

[Headnote: SYMPLE CONDICIONS: HOW TO BEHAVE.]

[Sidenote: _General Directions for Behaviour._]

++Symple condicions.

[Sidenote: Don't claw your back as if after a flea; or your head, as if after a louse.]

++Symple Co{n}dicyons of a p{er}sone {a}t is not taught, y will{e} ye eschew, for eu{er}mor{e} ey be nowght.

your{e} hed ne bak ye claw / a fleigh as augh{e} ye sought, ne your{e} heer{e} ye stryke, ne pyke / to prall{e}[50] for a flesch{e} mought.[51] 280

[Sidenote: See that your eyes are not blinking and watery. Don't pick your nose, or let it drop, or blow it too loud,]

Glowtyng{e}[52] ne twynkelyng{e} w{i}t{h} your{e} y?e / ne to heuy of cher{e}, watery / wynkyng{e} / ne droppyng{e} / but of sight cler{e}.

pike not your{e} nose / ne at hit be droppyng{e} w{i}t{h} no peerlis cler{e}, Snyff nor snityng{e}[53] hyt to lowd / lest your{e} sou{er}ayne hit her{e}. 284

[Sidenote: or twist your neck. Don't claw your cods, rub your hands,]

wrye not your{e} nek a doyle[54] as. .h.i.t wer{e} a dawe; put not your{e} hand{es} in your{e} hosen your{e} codwar{e}[55] fer to clawe, nor pikyng{e}, nor trifelyng{e} / ne shrukkyng{e} as au? ye wold sawe; yo{ur} hond{es} frote ne rub / brydelynge w{i}t{h} brest vppon yo{ur} crawe; 288

[Sidenote: pick your ears, retch, or spit too far. Don't tell lies,]

w{i}t{h} your{e} eris pike not / ner be ye slow of heryng{e}; areche / ne spitt to ferr{e} / ne haue lowd laughyng{e}; Speke not lowd / be war of mowyng{e}[56] & scornyng{e}; be no lier w{i}t{h} your{e} mouth{e} / ne lykorous, ne dryvelyng{e}. 292

[Sidenote: or squirt with your mouth, gape, pout, or put your tongue in a dish to pick dust out.]

w{i}t{h} your{e} mouthe ye vse now{er} to squyrt, nor spowt; be not gapyng{e} nor ganyng{e}, ne w{i}t{h} y mouth to powt lik not w{i}t{h} y tong{e} in a disch, a mote to haue owt.

Be not rasche ne recheles, it is not worth a clowt. 296

[Sidenote: Don't cough, hiccup, or belch, straddle your legs, or scrub your body.]

w{i}t{h} your{e} brest / sigh{e}, nor cowgh{e} / nor brethe, your{e} sou{er}ayne befor{e}; [Fol. 175.]

be yoxing{e},[57] ne bolkyng{e} / ne gronyng{e}, neu{er} e more; w{i}t{h} your{e} feet trampelyng{e}, ne settyng{e} your{e} leggis a shor{e}[58]; w{i}t{h} your{e} body be not shrubbyng{e}[59]; Iettyng{e}[60] is no loor{e}. 300

[Sidenote: Don't pick your teeth, cast stinking breath on your lord, fire your stern guns, or expose your codware before your master.]

Good son, y teth{e} be not pikyng{e}, grisyng{e},[61]

ne gnastynge[62]; ne stynkyng{e} of breth{e} on your{e} sou{er}ayne castyng{e}; w{i}t{h} puffyng{e} ne blowyng{e}, now{er} full{e} ne fastyng{e}; and all{e} wey be war{e} of y hyndur part from gu{n}nes blastyng{e}. 304

These Cuttid[63] galaunt{es} with their{e} codwar{e}; at is an vngoodly gise;-- Other tacches[64] as towchyng{e} / y spar{e} not to mysp{ra}ue aft{ur} myne avise,-- when he shall{e} s{er}ue his mastir, befor{e} hym on e table hit lyes; Eu{er}y sou{er}eyne of sadnes[65]

all{e} suche sort shall{e} dispise. 308

[Sidenote: Many other improprieties a good servant will avoid.']

Many moo condicions a man myght fynde / an now ar named her{e}, {er}for{e} Eu{er}y honest s{er}uand / avoyd all{e} thoo, & wors.h.i.+pp{e} lat hym leer{e}.

Panter, yoman of e Celler{e}, butler{e}, & Ewer{e}, y will{e} at ye obeye to e marshall{e}, Sewer{e}, & kerver{e}.[66]' 312

[Headnote: HOW TO CARVE, AND TO LAY TRENCHERS.]

[Sidenote: 'Sir, pray teach me how to carve, handle a knife, and cut up birds, fish, and flesh.']

"++Good syr, y yow pray e connyng{e}[A]