Early English Meals and Manners Part 35

[Sidenote: The parents of a Pope or Cardinal must not presume to equality with their son,]

++There as pope or cardynall{e} in eir{e} estate beyng{e}, at han fadur & mod{ur} by their{e} dayes lyvyng{e}, eir{e} fadur or modir ne may in any wise be p{re}sumyng{e} to be egall{e} w{i}t{h} their{e} son standyng{e} ne sittyng{e}: 1100

[Sidenote: and must not want to sit by him, but in a separate room.]

Therfor{e} fadir ne moder / ey owe not to desire to sytte or stond by eyr{e} son / his state will{e} h{i}t not requir{e}, but by em self / a chambur a.s.signed for them sur{e}, Vn-to whom vche office ought gladly [Fol. 187b.]

to do plesur{e}. 1104

[Sidenote: A Marshal must look to the rank of every estate,]

To the birth{e} of vche estate a m{er}shall{e} must se, and en next of his lyne / for eyr{e} dignyte; en folowyng{e}, to officers affter{e} eir{e} degre, As chaunceler{e}, Steward / Chamburleyn / tresorer{e} if he be: 1108

[Sidenote: and do honour to _foreign visitors_ and residents.]

Mor{e} ou{er} take hede he must / to aliene / co{m}mers straungeres, and to straungers of is land, resi[d]ent dwelleres, and exalte em to honour{e} / if e be of honest maneres; en all{e} o{er} aft{ur} eir{e} degre / like as cace requeres. 1112

[Sidenote: A well-trained Marshal should think beforehand where to place strangers at the table.]

In a man{er}able m{er}shall{e} e co{n}nyng{e} is moost co{m}mendable to haue a for{e} sight to straungers, to sett em at e table; For if ey haue gentill{e} cher{e} / & gydyng{e} man{er}able, e m{er}shall{e} doth his sou{er}eyn honour{e} / & he e mor{e} lawdable. 1116

[Sidenote: If the King sends any messenger to your Lord receive him one degree higher than his rank.]

-- ?eff ow be a m{er}shall{e} to any lord of is land, yff e kyng{e} send to y sou{er}eyn eny his s{er}uand by sand,

+Yeff he be a+ +receve hym as a+ { knyght { baroun honorand { Squyer{e} { knyght w{i}t{h} hand { yoman of e crown { Squyer{e} { grome { yeman in maner{e} { page { grome goodly in fer{e} { Childe { grome gentill{e} lerner{e}.

[Sidenote: The King's groom may dine with a Knight or Marshal,]

-- hit rebuketh not a knyght / e knyg{es} grome to sytte at his table, 1125 no mor{e} hit doth{e} a m{er}shall{e} of maners plesable; and so from e hiest degre / to be lowest honorable, if e m{er}shall{e} haue a sight {er}to, he is co{m}mendable. 1128

[Headnote: THE DIFFERENCES OF MEN EQUAL IN RANK.]

[Sidenote: A Marshal must also understand the rank of County and Borough officers,]

-- Wisdom woll{e} a m{er}shall{e} man{er}abely {a}t he vndirstand all{e} e wors.h.i.+pfull{e} officers of the comunialte of is land, of s.h.i.+res / Citees / borowes; like as ey ar ruland, ey must be sett aft{ur} eir{e} astate dewe in degre as ey stand. 1132

[Sidenote: and that a Knight of blood and property is above a poor Knight,]

-- hit belongeth{e} to a m{er}shall{e} to haue a for{e} sight of all{e} estatis of is land in eu{er}y place pight, For estate of a knyght of blode, lyvelode, & myght, [Fol. 188.]

is not p{er}egall{e} to a symple & a poouere knyght. 1136

[Sidenote: the Mayor of London above the Mayor of Queenborough,]

-- Also e meyr{e} of london, notable of dignyte, and of queneborow[269] e meir{e}, no yng{e} like in degre, at one messe ey owght in no wise to sitt ne be; hit no yng{e} besemeth{e} / {er}for{e} to suche semble ye se / 1140

[Sidenote: the Abbot of Westminster above the poor Abbot of Tintern,]

-- Also e abbote of Westmynster{e}, e hiest of {is} lande / The abbot of tynterne[270] e poorest, y vndirstande, [Fol. 188a.]

ey ar boe abbot{es} of name, & not lyke of fame to fande; ?et Tynterne w{i}t{h} Westmynster shall{e} now{er} sitte ne stande. 1144

[Sidenote: the Prior of Canterbury above the Prior of Dudley,]

-- Also e Pryour{e} of Caunturbury,[271]

a cheff churche of dignyte, And e priour{e} of Dudley,[272] no yng{e} so digne as he:-- ?et may not e priour{e} of dudley, symple of degre, Sitte w{i}t{h} e priour{e} of Caunturbury: {er} is why, a dyu{er}site. 1148

[Sidenote: the Prior who is Prelate of a Cathedral Church above any Abbot or Prior of his diocese,]

-- And reme{m}br{e} eu{er}mor{e} / an rule {er} is generall{e}: A p{ri}our{e} at is a p{re}late of any churche Cathedrall{e}, above abbot or priour{e} w{i}t{h}-in the diocise sitte he shall{e}, In churche / in chapell{e} / in chambur / & in hall{e}. 1152

[Sidenote: a Doctor of 12 years' standing above one of 9 (though the latter be the richer),]

-- Right so reu{er}end docturs, degre of xij. yer{e}, em ye must a.s.signe to sitte aboue hym / at co{m}mensed hath but .ix.

and augh{e} e yonger may larger spend gold red & fyne, ?et shall{e} e eldur sitte aboue / whe{ur} he drynke or dyne. 1156

[Sidenote: the old Aldermen above the young ones, and 1. the Master of a craft, 2. the ex-warden.]

-- like wise the aldremen, ?ef ey be eny wher{e}, e yonger{e} shall{e} sitte or stande benethe e elder ri?t er{e}; and of eu{er}y crafft e mastir aftur rule & maner{e}, and en e eldest of em, {a}t warden was e for{e} yer{e}. 1160

[Sidenote: Before every feast, then, think what people are coming, and settle what their order of precedence is to be.]

-- Soche poyntes, w{i}t{h} many o{er}, belongeth{e} to a m{er}shall; erfor{e} whensoeu{er} your{e} sovereyn a feest make shall, demeene what estates shall{e} sitte in the hall, an reson w{i}t{h} your{e} self lest your{e} lord yow call{e}; 1164

[Sidenote: If in doubt, ask your lord or the chief officer,]

-- Thus may ye devise your{e} marshallyng{e}, like as y yow ler{e}, e honour{e} and wors.h.i.+pp{e} of your{e} sou{er}eyn eu{er}y wher{e}; And ?eff ye haue eny dowt / eu{er} looke {a}t ye enquer{e}, Resorte eu{er} to your{e} souereyn{e} / or to e cheff officer{e}; 1168

[Sidenote: and then you'll do wrong to no one, but set all according to their birth and dignity.]

-- Thus shall{e} ye to any state / do wronge ne pr{e}iudice, to sette eu{er}y p{er}sone accordyng{e} w{i}t{h}-owten mys, as aftur e birthe / livelode / dignite / a-fore y taught yow this, all{e} degrees of high{e} officer{e}, & worthy as he is. 1172

[Headnote: THE DUTIES OF THE USHER AND MARSHAL.]

[Sidenote: Now I have told you of Court Manners, how to manage in Pantry, b.u.t.tery, Carving, and as Sewer, and Marshal,]

-- ++Now good son, y hau{e} shewed the / & brought e in vre, to know e Curtesie of court / & these ow may take in cur{e}, In pantry / botery / or celler{e} / & in kervyng{e} a-for{e} a sovereyn{e} demewr{e}, A sewer / or a m{er}shall{e}: in es science / y suppose ye byn sewr{e}, 1176

[Sidenote: as I learnt with a Royal Prince whose Usher and Marshal I was. All other officers have to obey me.]

-- Which in my dayes y lernyd with{e} a prynce full{e} royall{e}, with whom vscher{e} in chambur was y, & m{er}shall{e} also in hall{e}, vnto whom all{e} ese officer{es} for{e}seid / ey eu{er} ente{n}d{e} shall{e}, Evir to fulfill{e} my co{m}maundement when at y to em call{e}: 1180

[Headnote: THE USHER AND MARSHAL IS THE CHIEF OFFICER.]

[Sidenote: Our office is the chief, whether the Cook likes it or not.]

For we may allow & dissalow / our{e} office is e cheeff In celler{e} & spicery / & the Cooke, be he looth{e} or leeff.[273]