Early English Meals and Manners Part 36

[Sidenote: All these offices may be filled by one man, but a Prince's dignity requires each office to have its officer, and a servant under him,]

-- ++Thus e diligences of dyu{er}se office?

y haue shewed to e allone, [Fol. 188b.]

the which science may be shewed & doon by a syng{e}l{er}[274] p{er}sone; 1184 but e dignyte of a prince req{ui}reth{e} vche office must haue oon to be rewler{e} in his rome / a s{er}uand hym waytyng{e} on.

[Sidenote: (all knowing their duties perfectly) to wait on their Lord and please his guests.]

-- Moor{e}-ou{er} h{i}t requireth{e} eu{er}ich of em in office to haue p{er}fite science, For dowt and drede doyng{e} his souereyn displicence, 1188 hym to attende, and his gest{is} to plese in place wher{e} ey ar p{re}sence, that his souereyn rough{e} his s{er}uice may make grete co{n}gaudence.

[Sidenote: Don't fear to serve a prince; take good heed to your duties, watch, and you need not fear.]

-- For a prynce to s{er}ue, ne dowt he not / and G.o.d be his spede!

Fur{er} an his office / & {er}-to let hym take good hede, 1192 and his warde wayte wisely // & eu{er}mor{e} {er}-in haue drede; us doyng{e} his dewte dewly, to dowte he shall{e} not nede.

[Sidenote: _Tasting_ is done only for those of royal blood, as a Pope, King, Duke, and Earl: not below.]

-- ++Tastyng{e} and credence[275]

longeth{e} to blode & birth royall{e},[276]

As pope / emp{er}our{e} / E{m}p{er}atrice, and Cardynall{e}, 1196 kyng{e} / queene / prynce / Archebischoppe in palle, Duke / Erle and no mo / at y to remembraunce / calle.

[Sidenote: Tasting is done for fear of poison; therefore keep your room secure, and close your safe, for fear of tricks.]

-- ++Credence is vsed, & tastyng{e}, for drede of poysenyng{e}, To all{e} officers y-sworne / and grete oth{e} by chargyng{e}; 1200 {er}for{e} vche man in office kepe his rome sewr{e}, closyng{e} Cloos howse / chest / & gardevyan[277], for drede of congettyng{e}.

[Sidenote: A Prince's Steward and Chamberlain have the oversight of all offices and of tasting,]

-- ++Steward and Chamburlayn of a p{r}ince of royalte, ey haue / knowleche of homages, s{er}uice, and fewte; 1204 so ey haue ou{er}sight of eu{er}y office / aft{ur} eir{e} degre, by wrytyng{e} e knowleche / & e Credence to ou{er}se;

[Sidenote: and they must tell the Marshal, Sewer, and Carver how to do it.]

-- Therfore in makyng{e} of his credence, it is to drede, y sey, To m{er}shall{e} / sew{e}r{e}[278] and kerver{e} ey must allowte allwey, 1208 to teche hym of his office / e credence hym to prey: us shall{e} he not stond in makyng{e} of his credence in no fray.

[Sidenote: I don't propose to write more on this matter. I tried this treatise myself,]

-- ++Moor{e} of is co{n}nyng{e} y Cast not me to contreve: my tyme is not to tary, hit drawest fast to eve. 1212 is tretyse at y haue ent.i.tled, if it ye entende to p{re}ve, y a.s.sayed me self in youth{e} w{i}t{h}-outen any greve.

[Sidenote: in my youth, and enjoyed these matters, but now age compels me to leave the court; so try yourself."]

while y was yong{e} y-nough{e} & l.u.s.ty in dede, y enioyed ese maters foreseid / & to lerne y toke good hede; 1216 but croked age hath{e} co{m}pelled me / & leue court y must nede.

erfor{e}, son{e}, a.s.say thy self / & G.o.d shall{e} be y spede."

[Sidenote: "Blessing on you, Father, for this your teaching of me!

Now I shall dare to serve where before I was afraid.]

++"Now feir{e} falle yow, fadur / & blessid mote ye be, For is comenyng{e} / & e co{n}nyng{e} / at y[e] haue her{e} shewed me! 1220 now dar y do s{er}uice diligent / to dyu{er}s of dignyte, wher{e} for scantnes of conny{n}g{e} y durst no man y-se.

[Sidenote: I will try, and shall learn by practice. May G.o.d reward you for teaching me!"]

So p{er}fitely seth{e} y hit p{er}ceue / my parte y woll{e} p{re}ue and a.s.say; / [Fol. 189.]

boe by practike and ex{er}cise / yet som good lerne y may: 1224 and for your{e} gentill{e} lernyng{e} / y am bound eu{er} to pray that our{e} lorde rewarde you in blis that lasteth aye."

[Headnote: IOHN RUSSELLS REQUEST TO THE READER.]

[Sidenote: "Good son, and all readers of this _Boke of Nurture_, pray for the soul of me, John Russell, (servant of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester;)]

++"Now good son, thy self w{i}t{h} other {a}t shall{e} e succede, which{e} us boke of nurtur{e} shall{e} note / lerne, & ou{er} rede, pray for the sowle of Iohn Russell{e}, at G.o.d do hym mede, Som tyme s{er}uaunde w{i}t{h} duke vmfrey, duc[A] of Glowcet{ur} in dede.

[Text note: The _duc_ has a red stroke through it, probably to cut it out.]

[Sidenote: also for the Duke, my wife, father, and mother, that we may all go to bliss when we die."]

For at prynce pereles prayeth{e} / & for suche other mo, e sowle of my wife / my fadur and modir also, 1232 vn-to Mary modyr and mayd / she fende us from owr{e} foe, and bryng{e} vs all{e} to blis when we shall{e} hens goo.

+AMEN+."

[Sidenote: Little book, commend me to all learners, and to the experienced, whom I pray to correct its faults.]

Go forth{e} lytell{e} boke, and lowly ow me co{m}mende vnto all{e} yong{e} gentilmen / {a}t l.u.s.t to lerne or entende, 1236 and specially to em at han exsperience, p{ra}yng{e} e[m] to amend{e} and correcte at is amysse, er{e} as y fawte or offende.

[Sidenote: Any such, put to my copying, which I have done as I best could.]

-- And if so at any be founde / as rou? myn necligence, Cast e cawse on my copy / rude / & bar{e} of eloquence, 1240 which{e} to drawe out [I] haue do my besy diligence, redily to reforme hit / by reson and bettur sentence.

[Sidenote: The transcriber is not to blame; he copied what was before him, and neither of us wrote it,]

-- As for ryme or reson, e for{e}wryter was not to blame, For as he founde hit aforne hym, so wrote he e same, 1244 and augh{e} he or y in our{e} mater{e} digres or degrade, blame neithur of vs / For we neuyr{e} hit made;

[Sidenote: I only corrected the rhyme. G.o.d! grant us grace to rule in Heaven with Thine elect!]

-- Symple as y had insight / somwhat e ryme y correcte; blame y cowde no man / y haue no p{er}sone suspecte. 1248 Now, good G.o.d, graunt vs grace / our{e} sowles neu{er} to Infecte!

an may we regne in i regiou{n} / et{er}nally w{i}t{h} thyne electe.

[Some word or words in large black letter have been cut off at the bottom of the page.]

[Footnote 1: do, get on.]

[Footnote 2: ? at = nought can.]

[Footnote 3: The Lawnd in woodes. _Saltus nemorum._ Baret, 1580.

_Saltus_, a launde. Glossary in _Rel. Ant._, v. 1, p. 7, col. 1.

_Saltus_, a forest-pasture, woodland-pasture, woodland; a forest.]

[Footnote 4: at will. A.S. _wilsum_, free willed.]