The ABC of Aristotle.

[Lambeth MS. 853, ab. 1430 A.D., page 30, written without breaks.]

Who-so wilnep to be wijs, & worschip desirip,

Lerne he oo lettir, & looke on anothir

Of pe .a. b. c. of aristotil: argue not azen þat :
4 It is councel for rigt manye clerkis & knyztis a

pousand,

And eek it myzte ameende a man ful ofte
For to leerne lore of oo lettir, & his lijf saue;
For to myche of ony þing was neuere holsum.
8 Reede ofte on pis rolle, & rewle pou per aftir;
Who-so be greued in his goost, gouerne him
bettir;

12

Blame he not pe barn þat þis .a. b. c. made,
But wite he his wickid will & his werk aftir;

It schal neuere greue a good man pouz pe gilti

be meendid.

Now herkenep & heerip how y bigynne.

A to amerose, to aunterose, 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 neiþer.
F to fers, ne to famuler, but freendli of cheere.
G to glad, ne to gloriose, & gelosie pou hate.

[Page 31.]

THE A B C OF ARISTOTLE.

H to hasti, ne to hardi, ne to heuy in pine 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 ouerpwart, & oopis pou hate.

P to presing, ne to preuy with princis ne with dukis ;

Q

to queynte, ne to quarelose, but queeme weel 3oure souereyns. R to riotus, to reueling, ne rage not to rudeli.

to straunge, ne to stirynge, ne straungeli to stare.

T to toilose, ne to talewijs, for temperaunce is beest.
V to venemose, ne to veniable, & voide al vilonye.

W to wielde, ne to wrapful, neiper waaste, ne waade not to depe,

¶ For a mesurable meene is euere þe beste of alle.

[1 Page 32.]

["Whi is pis 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 wylle be wyse, and worspyppe 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 counselle for clerkis and knyghtis a thowsande. And also it myghte amende a meane man, fulle oft the lernyng of A lettur, and his lyf save. It shal not greve a good man though gylt be amende. rede on this ragment / and rule the therafter. The copy on fol. 228 has no Introduction.

Urbanitatis.

[MS. Cott. Calig. A. 11., ab. 1460 A.D., fol. 88, col. 2.]

Who-so wylle of nurtur lere,
Herken to me & ze shalle here.
When pou comeste be-fore a lorde
4 In halle, yn bowre, or at pe borde,
Hoode or kappe pou of po.
Ere pou come hym alle vn-to,
Twyse or pryse with-outen dowte
8 To pat lorde pou moste lowte,

With by Ry3th kne lette hit be do,
Thy worshyp pou mayst saue so.
Holde of þy cappe & þy hood also
12 Tylle pou be byden hit on to do
Alle pe whyle pou spekest with hym,
Fayr & louely holde vp þy chynn,

So aftur þe nurtur of þe book

16 In his face louely pou loke;

;

Foot & hond pou kepe fulle stylle
Fro clawyng or tryppyng, hit ys skylle;
Fro spettyng & snetyng kepe þe also;
20 Be priuy of voydance, & lette hit go.
And loke pou be wyse & felle,

And perto also pat pow gouerne þe welle.
In-to pe halle when pou dost wende

24 Amonge pe genteles gode & hende,

Prece pou not vp to hy3 for no þyng,
Nor for by hy3 blood, nere for by konnyng,
Nopur to sytte, nepur to lene,

When you come before a lord

take off your cap or hood,

and fall on your right knee twice or thrice.

Keep your cap off till you're told to put it on;

hold up your chin;

look in the lord's

face;

keep hand and foot still;

don't spit or snot; break wind quietly;

behave well.

When you go into the hall,

don't press up too

high.

28 For hit ys neypur good ne clene.

Lette not by contynaunce also abate,
For good nurtur wylle saue by state;
Fadyr & modyr, what euur þey be,
32 Welle ys pe chylde pat may the:

In halle, in chambur, ore where pou gon,
Nurtur & good maners makep man.

To pe nexte degre loke pou wysely

36 To do hem Reuerence by and by:

Do hem no Reuerens, but sette alle in Rowe
But 3yf pou pe bettur do hym knowe.
To be mete when pou art sette,

40 Fayre & honestly thow ete hyt:
Fyrste loke pat þy handes be clene,
And þat þy knyf be sharpe & kene;
And cutte by breed & alle þy mete
44 Ry3th euen as pou doste hit ete.
If þou sytte be a worthyor man
Then by self thow art on,

Suffre hym fyrste to towche pe mete
48 Ere by self any per-of gete;

To be beste morselle pou may not stryke
Thow; pou neuur so welle hit lyke.
Also kepe by hondys fayre & welle
52 Fro fylynge of the towelle,

Ther-on pou shalt not by nose wype;
Nopur at þy mete by toth pou pyke;
To depe in þy cuppe pou may not synke
56 Thow3 pou haue good wylle to drynke,
Leste by eyen water pere by,
Then ys hyt no curtesy.

Loke yn þy mowth be no mete

When pou begynneste to drynke or speke;
Also when pou sest any man drynkyng
That taketh hede of þy karpyng,
Soone a-non pou sece þy tale,

64 Whepur he drynke wyne or Alc.

Loke also pou skorne no mon
In what pe[gre]' pou se hym gon;
Nor pou shalte no mon Repreue 2
68 3yf pou wylt þy owen worshyp saue,

For suche wordys pou my3th out kaste
Sholde make pe to lyue in euelle reste ;
Close pyn honde yn þy feste,
72 And kepe pe welle from hadde-y-wyste.
In chambur among ladyes bry3th,
Kepe by tonge & spende by sy3th;
Lawze pou not with no grette cry,
76 Ne Rage pou not with Rybawdry.
Pley pou not but with by peres ;

Ne telle pou not pat pou heres,

84

88

With fayr speche pou may haue by wylle,
And with by speche pou may pe spylle.
3yf pou suwe a wordyer mon

Then by self pou art on,

Lette by Ry3th sholdur folow his bakke,
For nurtur þat ys, with-owten lakke.
When he doth speke, holde pe style;
When he hath don, say by wylle;
Loke yn þy speche pou be felle,

And what pou sayste a-vyse þe welle;
And be-refe pou no mon his tale,

92 Nopur at wyne nere at Ale.

Now, criste of his grette grace
3eue vs alle bothe wytte & space
Welle pis to knowe & Rede,

96 And heuen to haue for our mede!
Amen, Amen, so moot hit be,
So saye we alle for charyte !

EXPLICIT TRACTUS VRBANITATIS.

Scorn and

[Marg. has gre for insertion.]

reprove no man, [2 repraue is written above the line.]

Keep your fingers from what would bring you to grief.

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

Among ladies, look, don't talk. Don't laugh loud, or riot with ribalds.

Don't repeat what you hear.

[3 not put in by a later hand.]

Words make or marou.

If you follow a worthier man, let your right shoulder follow his back, and

don't speak till he has done,

Be austere (7) in speech;

don't stop any man's tale.

Christ gives us all wit to know this,

and heaven as our reward. Amen!