Early English Meals and Manners Part 64

Yf {o}u make mawes[6] on any wyse, A velany {o}u kacches or eu{er} {o}u rise. 56

-- Let neu{er} y cheke be Made to grete [Fol. 13.]

W{i}t{h} morsell{e} of brede {a}t {o}u shall{e} ete; An apys mow men sayne he makes, {a}t brede and flesshe in hys cheke bakes. 60

-- Yf any man speke {a}t tyme to the, And {o}u schall{e} onsware, h{i}t will{e} not be But waloande, and a-byde {o}u most; {a}t is a schame for alle the host. 64

-- On bothe halfe y mouthe, yf {a}t {o}u ete, Mony a skorne shall{e} {o}u gete.

{o}u shall{e} not lau?he ne speke no yng{e} Whille i mouthe be full{e} of mete or drynke; 68

-- Ne suppe not w{i}t{h} grete sowndyng{e} Noer potage ne oer yng{e}.

Let not i spone stond in y dysche, Whe{er} {o}u be s{er}ued w{i}t{h} fleshe or fische; 72

-- Ne lay hit not on thy dishe syde, But clense h{i}t honestly w{i}t{h}-outen pride.

Loke no browyng{e} on y fyng{ur} ore Defoule e clothe e be-fore. [p. 27, bot.] 76

-- In i dysche yf {o}u wete y brede, Loke {er}-of at no?t be lede To cast agayne y dysche in-to; {o}u art vn-hynde yf {o}u do so. 80

-- Drye y mouthe ay wele {and} fynde When {o}u schall{e} drynke o{er} ale or wyne.

Ne calle {o}u no?t a dysche a-?ayne, {a}t ys take fro e borde in playne; 84

-- ?if {o}u sp[i]tt ou{er} the borde, or ell{es} opon, {o}u schall{e} be holden an vncurtayse mon; Yf y nown dogge {o}u sc.r.a.pe or clawe, {a}t is holden a vyse emong men knawe. 88

-- Yf y nose {o}u clense, as may be-falle, Loke y honde {o}u clense, as wyth{e}-alle, Priuely w{i}t{h} skyrt do hit away, O{er} ellis thurgh{e} thi tepet {a}t is so gay. 92

-- Clense not thi tethe at mete sittande, W{i}t{h} knyfe ne stre, styk ne wande.

While {o}u holdes mete i{n} mouthe, be war To drynke, {a}t is an-honest[7] char, 96

-- And also fysike for-bedes. .h.i.t, And sais {o}u may be choket at {a}t byt; Yf hit go y wrang throte into, And stoppe y wynde, {o}u art fordo. 100

-- Ne telle {o}u neu{er} at borde no tale To harme or shame y felawe i{n} sale; For if he then w{i}t{h}holde his methe[8], Eftsons he wyll{e} forcast i dethe. 104

-- Where-ser{e} {o}u sitt at mete in borde, Avoide e cat at on bar{e} worde For yf {o}u stroke cat o{er} dogge, {o}u art lyke an ape tey?ed w{i}t{h} a clogge. 108

-- Also {es}chewe, w{i}t{h}-outen stryfe, To foule e borde clothe w{i}t{h} i knyfe; Ne blow not on y drynke ne mete, Ne{er} for colde, neer for hete; 112

-- W{i}t{h} mete ne bere y knyfe to mowthe, Whe{er} {o}u be sett be strong or couthe; Ne w{i}t{h} o borde clothe i tethe {o}u wype, [Fol. 14.]

Ne y nyen {a}t rennen rede, as may betyde. 116

-- Yf {o}u sitt by a ry?ht good man, is lesson loke ou enke apon: Vndur his the?ghe y kne not pit, {o}u ar full{e} lewed yf {o}u dose hit. 120

-- Ne bacwarde sittande gyf no?t y cupe, No{er} to drynke, no{er} to suppe; Bidde i frende take cuppe and drynke, {a}t is holden an-honest thyng. 124

-- Lene not on elbowe at y mete, No{er} for colde ne for hete; Dip not i thombe y drynke i{n}to, {o}u art vncurtayse yf {o}u hit do; 128

-- In salt saler yf {a}t {o}u pit O{er} fisshe or flesshe {a}t me{n} may wyt, {a}t is a vyce, as me{n} me telles, And gret wonder h{i}t most be elles. 132

-- After mete when {o}u shalt wa.s.she, Spitt not in basyn, ne wat{er} {o}u da.s.she; Ne spit not lorely, for no kyn mede, Be-fore no mo{n} of G.o.d for drede. 136

-- Who so eu{er} despise is lessoun ry?t, At borde to sitt he hase no my?t.

Here endys now our{e} fyrst talkyng, Crist graunt vs alle his der{e} blessyng! 140

-- Her{e} endith{e} e [first] boke of curtasye.

[Sidenotes: [2] In this book you may learn Courtesy. Every one needs it.

[5] On reaching a Lord's gate, give the Porter your weapon, and ask leave to go in. [11] If the master is of low degree, he will come to you: [13] if of high, the Porter will take you to him.

[15] At the Hall-door, take off your hood and gloves, greet the Steward, &c., at the dais, [22] bow to the Gentlemen on each side of the hall [24] both right and left; [27] notice the yeomen, then stand before the screen till the Marshal or Usher leads you to the table. [33] Be sedate and courteous if you are set with the gentlemen. [35] Cut your loaf in two, the top from the bottom; cut the top crust in 4, and the bottom in 3. [37] cut the top crust in 4, and the bottom in 3. [41] Put your trencher before you, and [43] don't eat or drink till your Mess is brought from the kitchen, [45] lest you be thought starved or a glutton. [47] Have your nails clean. [49] Don't bite your bread, but break it.

[53] Don't quarrel at table, or make grimaces. [57] Don't cram your cheeks out with food like an ape, [61] for if any one should speak to you, you can't answer, but must wait. [65] Don't eat on both sides of your mouth. [67] Don't laugh with your mouth full, [69] or sup up your potage noisily. [71] Don't leave your spoon in the dish or on its side, but clean your spoon. [75] Let no dirt off your fingers soil the cloth. [77] Don't put into the dish bread that you have once bitten. [81] Dry your mouth before you drink. [83] Don't call for a dish once removed, [85] or spit on the table: that's rude. [87] Don't scratch your dog. [89] If you blow your nose, clean your hand; wipe it with your skirt or put it through your tippet. [93] Don't pick your teeth at meals, or drink with food in your mouth, [97] as you may get choked, or killed, by its stopping your wind. [101] Tell no tale to harm or shame your companions. [106] Don't stroke the cat or dog. [109] Don't dirty the table cloth with your knife. [111] Don't blow on your food, or put your knife in your mouth, or wipe your teeth or eyes with the table cloth. [117] If you sit by a good man, don't put your knee under his thigh. [121] Don't hand your cup to any one with your back towards him. [125] Don't lean on your elbow, [127] or dip your thumb into your drink, [129] or your food into the salt cellar: That is a vice. [133] Don't spit in the basin you wash in or loosely (?) before a man of G.o.d.]

[Headnote: HOW TO BEHAVE AT CHURCH, TO PARENTS, ETC.]

THE SECOND BOOK.

Yf that {o}u be a ?ong enfaunt, And thenke o scoles for to haunt, This lessou{n} schall{e} y maist{ur} e merke, Croscrist[[8a]] e spede in all{e} i werke; 144 Sytthen y _pater n{oste}r_ he wille e teche, As cristes owne postles con preche; Aft{ur} y Aue mar{ia} and i crede, at shall{e} e saue at dome of drede; 148

-- Then aft{ur} to blesse e w{i}t{h} e t{r}inite, In no{m}i{n}e p{at}ris teche he wille e; en w{i}t{h} marke, mathew, luke, {and} Ion, W{i}t{h} e {er} cruc{is} and the hegh name; 152

-- To schryue e in gen{er}al {o}u schall{e} lere y Confiteor and misereat{ur} in fer{e}.

To seche e kyngdam of G.o.d, my chylde, {er}to y rede {o}u be not wylde. 156

-- Ther-for{e} worschip G.o.d, bothe olde {and} ?ong, To be in body and soule yliche strong{e}.

When {o}u comes to o chirche dore, Take e haly wat{er} stondand on flor{e}; 160

-- Rede or synge or byd p{ra}yeris To crist, for all{e} y crysten ferys; Be curtayse to G.o.d, and knele dou{n} On bothe knees w{i}t{h} grete deuociou{n}. 164

-- To mo{n} {o}u shall{e} knele opon e ton, e to{er} to y self {o}u halde alon.

When {o}u ministers at e hegh{e} aut{er}e, W{i}t{h} bothe hondes {o}u s{er}ue {o} p{re}st in fere, 168 e ton to stabull{e} e to{er} Lest {o}u fayle, my dere bro{er}.

-- Ano{er} curtayse y wylle e teche, Thy fadur And modur, w{i}t{h} mylde speche, [Fol. 15.] 172 In worschip and s{er}ue w{i}t{h} all{e} y my?t, {a}t ou dwelle e lengur in erthely ly?t.

-- To ano{er} ma{n} do no mor{e} amys Then {o}u woldys be don of hym {and} hys; 176 So crist {o}u pleses, {and} get{es} e loue Of men {and} G.o.d {a}t sytt{is} aboue.

-- Be not to meke, but i{n} mene e holde, For ellis a fole {o}u wyll{e} be tolde. 180 He {a}t to ry?twysnes wylle enclyne, As holy wry?t says vs wele and fyne, His sede schall{e} neu{er} go seche hor brede, Ne suffur of mo{n} no shames dede. 184

-- To for-gyf {o}u shall{e} e hast; To veniaunce loke {o}u come on last; Draw e to pese w{i}t{h} all{e} y strenge; Fro stryf and bate draw e on lenge. 188

-- Yf mo{n} aske e good for G.o.ddys sake, And e wont thyng{e} wher-of to take, Gyf hym bon{er} wordys on fayre maner{e}, W{i}t{h} glad semblaunt[A] {and} pure good cher. 192

[Textnote A: MS. semblamt]

-- Also of s{er}uice {o}u shall{e} be fre To eu{er}y mo{n} in hys degre.

{o}u schall{e} neu{er} lose for to be kynde; That on for?et{is}, ano{er} hase in mynde. 196

-- Yf Any ma{n} haue part w{i}t{h} e i{n} gyft, W{i}t{h} hym {o}u make an euen skyft; Let hit not henge in honde for glose, {o}u art vncurtayse yf {o}u hyt dose. 200

-- To saynt{is} yf {o}u y gate hase hy?t, Thou schall{e} fulfylle h{i}t w{i}t{h} all{e} y my?t, Lest G.o.d e stryk w{i}t{h} grete veniaunce, And pyt e in-to sore penaunce. 204

-- Leue not all{e} me{n} that speke e fayre, Whe{er} {a}t h{i}t ben comyns, burges, or mayr{e}; In swete wordis e nedder was closet, Disseyuaunt euer and mysloset; 208 {er}-fore {o}u art of adams blode, W{i}t{h} wordis be ware, but {o}u be wode: A schort worde is comynly sothe {a}t fyrst slydes fro mo{n}nes tothe. 212