Stand by your lord till he tells you to sit, then keep your knife clean and sharp to cut your food. Be silent, and tell no nasty stories. Cut your bread, don't break it. Lay a clean trencher before you, and eat your broth with a spoon, don't sup it up. Don't leave your spoon in your dish. Don't lean on the table, or dirty the cloth. Don't hang your head over your dish, or eat with a full mouth, or pick your nose, teeth, and nails, [Fol. 89.] or stuff your mouth so that you can't speak. Wipe your mouth when you drink, and don't dirty the cup with your hands. ! ¶ Byfore him stonde whils he komaunde yow sytte, Withe clene handes Ay Redy him to serve; 136 Whenne yee be sette, your knyf withe alle your wytte Vnto youre sylf bothe clene and sharpe con serve, That honestly yee mowe your owne mete kerve. Latte curtesye and sylence withe yow duelle, 140 And foule tales looke noone to other telle. Kutte withe your knyf your brede, and breke yt nouhte; A clene Trenchour byfore yow eke ye lay, And whenne your potage to yow shalle be brouhte, 144 Take yow sponys, and soupe by no way, And in youre dysshe leve nat your spone, I pray, nat sene, Nor on the borde lenynge be yee ¶ Oute ouere youre dysshe your heede yee nat hynge, 149 And withe fulle mouthe drynke in no wyse ; Youre nose, your teethe, your naylles, from pykynge, Kepe At your mete, for so techis the wyse. [ Whanne 156 Youre handes eke that they in no manere Imbrowe the cuppe, for thanne shulle noone be lothe Withe yow to drynke that ben withe yow yfere. Youre knyf withe mete to your mouthe nat bere, And in youre hande nor holdē yee yt no way, 164 Eke yf to yow be brouhte goode metys sere, Luke curteysly of ylke mete yee assay, And yf your dysshe withe mete be tane away And better brouhte, curtesye wole certeyne 168 Yee late yt passe and calle it nat ageyne. Don't dip your meat in the saltcellar, or put your knife in your mouth. Taste every dish that's brought to you, and when once your plate is taken away, don't ask for it again. If strangers dine with you, share And yf straungers withe yow be sette at mete, 172 For yt ys nouhte ywys convenyent, to you with them. It's not polite to keep it all to Withe yow at mete whanne other ben present, yourself. Alle forto holde that vnto yow ys brouhte, And as wrecches on other vouchesauf nouhte. Kutte nouhte youre mete eke as it were Felde men, 177 That to theyre mete haue suche an appetyte [Fol. 89 b.] Don't cut your meat like field labourers, who have such an appetite they That they ne rekke in what wyse, where ne don't care how when, Nor how vngoodly they on theyre mete twyte; 180 But, swete children, haue al-wey your delyte they hack their food. Sweet children, let your delight be courtesy, and eschew rudeness. ¶ Whanne chese ys brouhte, A Trenchoure ha ye Have a clean clene 184 On whiche withe clene knyf [ye] your chese mowe kerve; In youre fedynge luke goodly yee be sene, trencher and knife for your cheese, and eat properly. Don't chatter either, and you shall get a good repute for gentleness. When the meal is over, clean your knives, and put them in their places: keep your seats till you've washed; then rise up with- Stand there till grace is said. Then some of you go for water, some hold the towel, some pour water over his hands. [Fol. 90.] Other things I shall not put in this little Report, but skip over, likes to correct it. Sweet children, I beseech you And from Iangelyng your tunge al-wey conserve, Whanne that so ys that ende shalle kome of mete, Youre knyffes clene, where they ouhte to be, 192 Luke yee putte vppe; and holde eke yee your seete Whils yee haue wasshe, for so wole honeste. Whenne yee haue done, looke thanne goodly that yee Withe-oute lauhtere, Iapynge, or boystous worde, 196 Ryse vppe, and goo vnto youre lordis borde, And stonde yee there, and passe yee him nat fro Whils grace ys sayde and brouhte vnto an ende, Thanne somme of yow for water owe to goo, 200 Somme holde the clothe, somme poure vpōn his hende. Other service thanne this I myhte comende ¶ But ouere I passe, prayyng withe spyrit gladde 205 Of this labour that no wihte me detray, But where to lytyl ys, latte him more adde, ¶ And, swete children, for whos love now I write, 212 I yow beseche withe verrey lovande herte, To knowe this book that yee sette your delyte; know this book, and may God make you so expert therein 216 That thurhe your nurture and youre governaunce that you may In lastynge blysse yee mowe your self auaunce! bliss. attain endless Lerne or be Lewde. To Amerous, to Aunterous, ne Angre the nat to To Bolde, ne to Besy, ne Bourde nat to large; [Fol. 90 b.] Don't be too loving or angry, bold or busy, courteous or cruel or cowardly, and don't drink too 4 To Dulle, ne to Dredefulle, ne Drynke nat to often, offte; To Elenge, to Excellent, ne to Carefulle ney thur; To Fers, ne to Famuler, but Frendely of Chere; To gladde, ne to Glorious, and Gelousy thow hate; 8 To Hasty, to Hardy, ne to Hevy in thyn 12 To Iettyng, ne to Iangelyng, and Iape nat to joke not too oft; ofte; ware knaves' To Kynde, ne to Kepyng, and warre Knavis tricks. tacches; To Lothe, ne to Lovyng, ne to Lyberalle of Don't be too goode; grudging or too liberal, To Medlous, to Mury, but as goode Maner too meddling, askithe; To noyous, ne to Nyce, ne to Newfangylle; too particular, new-fangled, To Orped, to Overtwert, and Othes, sir, thow or too daring. Hate oaths hate; and flattery. Please well thy master. Don't be too rackety, or go out too much. Don't be too revengeful or wrathful, and wade not too deep. The middle path is the best for us all. To Preysyng, to Preve withe Prynces and 16 To Queynt, to Querelous, and Queme welle. To Riotous, to Revelyng, ne Rage nat to muche; To Straunge, ne to Steryng, ne Stare nat abroode; To Toyllous, to Talevys, for Temperaunce it hatithe ; 20 To Vengable, to Envious, and waste nat to muche; To Wylde, to Wrathefulle, and Wade nat to depe; A Mesurable Mene way ys beste for vs alle; Yitte. Lerne. or. Be. Lewde. [A Dietary given 'vnto Kyng Herry vte' by Sigismounde, Emperour of Rome,' follows, leaf 91. The colophon (leaf 98, back) is Thus endithe 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. |