Early English Meals and Manners Part 89

[A Dietary given 'vnto Kyng Herry v^te' 'by Sigismounde, Emp{er}our of Rome,' follows, leaf 91. The colophon (leaf 98, back) is '-- Thus endith{e} this Dyetarye Compyled And made by Plato and Petrus Lucratus, Grete Philosophers and Astronomers.']

_A complete copy of the A B C Alliterative Poem of which the foregoing LERNE OR BE LEWDE is a fragment, occurs in the Lambeth MS. 853, and is therefore added here._

The A B C of Aristotle.

[_Lambeth _MS. 853_, ab. 1430 A.D., page 30, written without breaks._]

++Who-so wilne to be wijs, & worschip desiri, Lerne he oo lettir, & looke on anothir Of e .a. b. c. of aristotil: argue not a?en at: It is cou{n}cel for ri?t manye clerkis & kny?tis a ousand, 4 And eek it my?te ameende a man ful ofte For to leerne lore of oo lettir, & his lijf saue; For to myche of ony ing was neu{er}e holsum.

Reede ofte on is rolle, & rewle {o}u er aftir; 8 Who-so be greued in his goost, gou{er}ne hi{m} bettir; Blame he not e barn at is .a. b. c. made, But wite he his wickid will & his werk aftir; It schal neu{er}e greue a good man ou? e gilti be meendid. 12 Now herkene & heeri how y bigy{n}ne.

[Sidenote: [Page 31.]]

+A+ to amerose, to au{n}terose, ne argue not to myche.

+B+ to bolde, ne to bisi, ne boorde not to large.

+C+ to curteis, to cruel, ne care not to sore.

+D+ to dul, ne to dreedful, ne drinke not to ofte.

+E+ to elenge, ne to excellent, ne to eernesful nei{er}.

+F+ to fers, ne to famuler, but freendli of cheere.

+G+ to glad, ne to gloriose, & gelosie ou hate.

+H+ to hasti, ne to hardi, ne to heuy in ine herte.

+I+ to iettynge, ne to iangelinge, ne iape not to ofte.

+K+ to kinde, ne to kepynge, & be waar of knaue tacchis.

+L+ to looth for to leene, ne to liberal of goodis.

+M+ to medelus, ne to myrie, but as mesure wole it meeue.

+N+ to noiose, ne to nyce, ne use no new iettis.

+O+ to orped, ne to ou{er}wart, & oois ou hate.

+P+ to pr{e}sing, ne to p{re}uy w{i}t{h} p{ri}ncis ne w{i}t{h} dukis;

[Sidenote: * Page 32.]

+Q+ to queynte, ne[*] to quarelose, but queeme weel ?oure souereyns.

+R+ to riotus, to reueling, ne rage not to rudeli.

+S+ to strau{n}ge, ne to stirynge, ne strau{n}geli to stare.

+T+ to toilose, ne to talewijs, for temperau{n}ce is beest.

+V+ to venemose, ne to ve{n}iable, & voide al vilonye.

+W+ to wielde, ne to wraful, nei{er} waaste, ne waade not to depe,

-- For a mesurable meene is eu{er}e e beste of alle.

["Whi is is world biloued" follows.]

_See two other copies of this _A B C_ in Harl. MS. 541, fol. 213 and 228._

The copy on fol. 213 has the exordium as prose, thus:

Who so wyll{e} be wyse, and worspyp{pe} to wynne, leern he on lettur, and loke vpon an other of the .A. B. C. of Arystotle; noon Argument agaynst that. ffor it is counsell{e} for clerk{is} and knyght{is} a thowsand{e}. And also it myght{e} amend{e} a meane man, fulle oft the lernyng of A lettur, and his lyf save. It shal not greve a good man though gylt be amend{e}. rede on this ragment / and rule the theraft{e}r. The copy on fol. 228 has no Introduction.

COLLATION

[Transcriber's Note:

The following text is repeated from its original location in the Collations and Corrigenda section immediately after the Preface.]

_The A B C of Aristotle_, Harl. MS. 1706, fol. 94, collated by Mr Brock, omits the prologue, and begins after l. 14 with, "Here be-gynneth{e} Arystoles A B C. made be mayster Benett."

A, _for_ argue not _read_ Angre the B, _omit_ ne; _for_ not to large _read_ thou nat to brode D, ; _for_ not _read_ thow nat E, ; _for_ to eernesful _read_ ne curyons F, _for_ fers, famuler, freendli, _read_ Ferde, familier, frenfull{e} G, _omit_ to; _for_ & gelosie ou hate, _read_ Ne to galaunt never H, _for_ in ine _read_ off I, _for_ iettynge _read_ Iocunde; _for_ iape not to _read_ Ioye thow nat K, _omit_ to _and_ &; _for_ knaue _read_ knaves L, _for_ for to leene _read_ ne to lovyng; _for_ goodis _read_ woordys M, _for_ medelus _read_ Mellous; _for_ but as mesure wole it meeue _read_ ne to besynesse vnleffull{e} N, _for_ ne use no new iettis _read_ ne nought{e} to neffangle O, _for_ ouerwart _read_ ouertwarth{e}; _for_ & oois ou hate _read_ Ne othez to haunte Q, _for_ quarelose _read_ querelous; _for_ weel ?oure souereyns _read_ men all{e} abowte R, _omit the second_ to; _for_ not to rudeli _read_ thou nat but lyte S, _for_ ne straungeli to stare _read_ Ne starte nat abowte T, _for_ for temperaunce is best _read_ But temp{er}ate euer{e} V, _for_ ne &c. _read_ ne violent Ne waste nat to moche W, _for_ neier &c. _read_ Ne to wyse deme the

-- _for_ is euere e beste of _read_ ys best for vs

_Add_ =X Y Z= x y wych{e} esed & p{er} se.

Tytell{e} Tytell{e} Tytell{e} than Esta Amen.

Urbanitatis.

[_MS. Cott. Calig. A. II., ab. 1460 A.D., fol. 88, col. 2._]

Who-so wyll{e} of nurtur lere, Herken to me & ?e shall{e} here.

[a] When {o}u comeste be-fore a lorde In halle, yn bowre, or at e borde, 4 [b] Hoode or kappe {o}u of o.

Ere {o}u come hym all{e} vn-to, [c] Twyse or ryse w{i}t{h}-oute{n} dowte To {a}t lorde {o}u moste lowte, 8 W{i}t{h} y Ry?th kne lette h{i}t be do, Thy worshyp {o}u mayst saue so.

[d] Holde of y cappe & y hood also Tyll{e} {o}u be byden h{i}t on to do; 12 All{e} e whyle {o}u spekest w{i}t{h} hym, [e] Fayr & louely holde vp y chyn{n}, So aft{ur} e nurtur of e book [f] In h{i}s face louely {o}u loke; 16 [g] Foot & hond {o}u kepe full{e} stylle Fro clawyng or tryppy{n}g, h{i}t ys skylle; [h] Fro spettyng & snetyng kepe e also; [i] Be p{ri}uy of voydance, & lette h{i}t go. 20 And loke {o}u be wyse & fell{e}, [k] And {er}to also {a}t ow gouerne e well{e}.

[l] In-to e halle when {o}u dost wende Amonge e genteles G.o.de & hende, 24 [m] Prece {o}u not vp to hy? for no y{n}g, Nor for y hy? blood, ner{e} for y ko{n}ny{n}g, No{ur} to sytte, ne{ur} to lene, For h{i}t ys ney{ur} good ne clene. 28 [n] Lette not y co{n}tynaunce also abate, For good nurt{ur} wyll{e} saue y state; Fadyr & modyr, what eu{ur} ey be, Well{e} ys e chylde {a}t may the: 32 [o] In halle, in chambur, or{e} wher{e} {o}u gon, Nurtur & good maners make man.

To e nexte degre loke {o}u wysely [p] To do hem Reu{er}ence by and by: 36 Do hem no Reu{er}ens, but sette all{e} i{n} Rowe But ?yf {o}u e bett{ur} do hym knowe.

[Sidenote: [Fol. 86, back, col. 1.]]

To e mete when {o}u art sette, Fayre & honestly thow ete hyt: 40 [q] Fyrste loke {a}t y handes be clene, And {a}t y knyf be sharpe & kene; And cutte y breed & all{e} y mete Ry?th euen as {o}u doste h{i}t ete. 44 [r] If {o}u sytte be a worthyor man Then y self thow art on, Suffre hym fyrste to towche e mete Er{e} y self any {er}-of gete; 48 [s] To e beste morsell{e} {o}u may not stryke Thow? {o}u neu{ur} so well{e} h{i}t lyke.

[t] Also kepe y hondys fayr{e} & well{e} Fro fylynge of the towell{e}, 52 Ther-on {o}u shalt not y nose wype; No{ur} at y mete y toth {o}u pyke; [v] To depe i{n} y cuppe {o}u may not synke Thow? {o}u haue good wyll{e} to drynke, 56 Leste y eyen water er{e} by, Then ys hyt no curtesy.

[x] Loke yn y mowth be no mete When {o}u begy{n}neste to dry{n}ke or speke; 60 Also when {o}u sest any man drynkyng That taketh hede of y karpyng, Soone a-non {o}u sece y tale, Whe{ur} he drynke wyne or Ale. 64 [y] Loke also {o}u skorne no mon In what e[gre] [A] {o}u se hym gon; Nor {o}u shalte no mon Repreue [B]

?yf {o}u wylt y owen worshyp saue, 68 For suche wordys {o}u my?th out kaste Sholde make e to lyue i{n} euell{e} reste; [z] Close yn honde yn y feste, And kepe e well{e} from hadde-y-wyste. 72

[Sidenote: [Fol. 86, back, col. 2.]]

[aa] In chamb{ur} among ladyes bry?th, Kepe y tonge & spende y sy?th; [ab] Law?e {o}u not w{i}t{h} no grette cry, Ne Rage {o}u not w{i}t{h} Rybawdry. 76 Pley {o}u not but w{i}t{h} y peres; [ac] Ne telle {o}u not {a}t {o}u heres, Nor dyskeuer{e} {o}u not [C] yn owen dede For no myrth nor for no mede; 80 [ad] W{i}t{h} fayr speche {o}u may haue y wyll{e}, And w{i}t{h} y speche {o}u may e spyll{e}.

[ae] ?yf {o}u suwe a wordyer mon Then y self {o}u art on, 84 Lette y Ry?th shold{ur} folow h{i}s bakke, For nurt{ur} {a}t ys, w{i}t{h}-owten lakke.

[af] When he doth speke, holde e style; When he hath don, say y wyll{e}; 88 [ag] Loke yn y speche {o}u be fell{e}, And what ou sayste a-vyse e well{e}; [ah] And be-refe {o}u no mon h{i}s tale, No{ur} at wyne ner{e} at Ale. 92 [ai] Now, c{ri}ste of h{i}s grette g{ra}ce ?eue vs all{e} both{e} wytte & s.p.a.ce Well{e} {i}s to knowe & Rede, [ak] And heuen to haue for o{ur} mede! 96 Amen, Amen, so moot h{i}t be, So saye we all{e} for charyte!