56

Pleie with no knif, take hede to my sentence;
At mete & at soper kepe pee stille & softe,
And eek to & fro meeue not pi feep to ofte.

Droppe not pi brest with seew & oper potage,
Bringe no foule knyues vnto pe table;

Fille not pi spoon lest in pe cariage

60 It scheede bi side, it were not commendable.
Be quik & redi, meke & seruiable,
Weel awaitinge to fulfille anoon

What pat pi souereyn commaundip to be doon.

Don't play with
your knife,

or shuffle
your feet about.

Don't spill your broth on your chest, or use dirty knives, or fill your

spoon too full.

Be quick to do whatever your lord orders.

64 And where-so-euere pou be to digne or to suppe, Take salt with

Of gentilnes take salt with pi knyf,

And be weel waar pou blowe not in þe cuppe.
Reuerence þi felawis; bigynne with hem no strijf;

68 To pi power kepe pees al þi lijf.

Intrippe no man where so pat pou wende,
No man in his tale, til he haue maade an eende.

With pi fyngris marke not pi tale;

72 be weel avysid, & nameli in tendir age, To drinke mesurabli bope wiyn & ale.

Be not to copiose of langage;

As tyme requirip schewe out pi visage,

your knife; don't blow in your cup, or begin quarrels.

Interrupt no man in his story.

[Page 154.] Drink wine and ale in moderation.

Don't talk too much,

76 To glad, ne to sory, but kepe pee euene bitwene but keep a middle

For los, or lucre, or ony case sodene.

Be soft in mesure, not hasti, but treteable ;

Ouer soft is nouzt in no maner þing; 80 To children longip not to be vengeable, Soone meued and soone fiztinge; And as it is remembrid bi writynge, wrappe of children is ouercome soone,

84 With pe partis of an appil ben made at oon.

course.

Be gentle and tractable, but not too soft.

Children must not be revengeful;

their anger is appeased with a bit of apple.

¶ In children werre 1 now myrthe and now debate, In theyr quarel no grete violence;

Now pley, now wepyng, sielde in one estate; 88 To theyr playntes gyve no credence;

A Rodde refourmythe al theyr insolence;
In theyr corage no Rancour dothe abyde;
Who sparithe the yerd, al vertu set aside.

LENVOYE.

92 Go, litel bille, bareyn of eloquence,

Pray yonge children that the shal see or Reede,
Thoughe thow be compendious of sentence,
Of thi clauses for to taken heede,

96 Whiche to al vertu shal theyr yowthe leede.
Of the writyng, thoughe ther be no date,
If ought be mysse,-worde, sillable, or dede,-
Put al the defaute vpon Iohne Lydegate.

1 Rel. Ant., In childre

In children werre is now mirpe & now debate,

In her quarel is no violence,

now pleie, now wepinge, & seelde in oon state;

88 to her pleyntis 3eue no credence;

A rodde reformep al her necligence;

in her corage no rancour doop abide,

Children's

quarrels are first play, then crying;

don't believe their
complaints; give
'em the rod.

Spare that, and

who pat sparip pe rodde all uertues settip a-side. you'll spoil all.

92 A! litil balade, voide of eloquence,

96

[Page 155.]

I praie 30u 30nge children pat pis schal se & rede, Young children, houz ze be copious of sentence,

3it to pese clausis for to take hede

Which al into vertues schal 3oure 3oupe lede.

In þis writynge, pouz þer be no date,

Yf oust be mys in word, sillable, or dede,

pray take heed to my little ballad, which shall lead you into all virtues.

My mistakes I submit to

I submitte me to correccioun withoute ony debate. correction.

Thus eendith þe book of curteisie pat is clepid

stans puer ad mensam.

My son, I'll tell you what manners will bring you honour and welfare.

Take care of your master's goods as your own.

Ware angry words.

Fear shame.

Let others

speak first.

[Page 166.] Bow to your betters.

Sport with your equals,

and leave off in

good time.

Put up with big words: better bow than burst.

Learn from every man.

Don't tell all you hear.

Beware of afterregrets.

Be not too talewise, neither too merry nor too sad.

Keep the middle way.

Of the Manners to bring one to Honour and Welfare.

SOne, y schal pee schewe,—now take hede,—
And of suche maners þee declare

Bi whiche pou schalt come to manhede,

4 To wordli worschip, and to weelfare.
¶ What man pou seruest, euermore him drede,
And hise goodis as pin owne euere þou spare ;
Lete neuere pi wil þi witt ouer lede ;

8

Of wrapful wordis euermore be ware.

¶be bigynnynge of pi worschip, is to drede schame;
Lete opere men talke her talis or þou,
And her wittis loke pou not blame;

12 Vnto pi betere euermore pou bowe;

And whanne pou schalt boorde, bourde with pi

peere,

And leue of to pleie whanne pee list best.
And for to suffre greete wordis, is manere,
16 And often tyme it is betere to bow pan to berst;

And of euery mannis witt loke pat pou lere,
And pat rial tresour pou close in þi chest ;
Telle neuere pe more pouz pou myche heere,

20 And euere be waare of had-y-wist.

In companies be neuere to tale-wijs,
Ne ouer myrie, ne ouer sadde,

Lest in þi berynge men acounte þee ouer nyce; 24 Kepe cuere pe meene, and euere be a-drad.

¶ With bropels ne boies loke pou with hem neuere Don't play with

play,

For pat pou hem tellist pou schalt heere eft.

And if pou se a wastour owher, y pee pray, 28 His felowschip fayn y wolde pat pou left. ¶ Medle not with mysrule by no maner way, For good maner he hap from hym schifte; For y haue ofte seen pis in fay,

32 þat fro manye men he hap manhode refte.

[? one stanza of 4 lines wanting]

rackety men: what you tell them you hear again.

Avoid spendthrift's company.

Mix not with
Misrule: he robз

[Page 157.]

men of their manhood.

Take what you find or what you bring.

[MS. Trin. Coll. Cambridge, O. 9.38.]

hoo that comy3t to an howse,

loke he be noo thyng' dongerowse

To take seche as he fyndy;t;

4 And yf he wolle not do soo,
Reson A-greet there-too

To take suche as he bryngyzt.

The Reward of the Man who Beggars
Himself.

[MS. Trin. Coll. Cambridge, O. 9.38, written as prose.]

with thys bytel be he smete. pat alle pe worle

mote hyt wete

hat yevyt hys goode to hys kynne. & goth hym
sylfe A beggyng'