De aquario

Qui debent manus lauare, et in quorum domibus .

De panetario..

De Cultellis domini ..

De Elemosinario

De ferculario..

De candelario

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The boke of Curtasye.

HEre begynnethe pe fyrst boke of curtasye.

wo so wylle of curtasy lere,

Q

In this boke he may hit here!

[Fol. 12.]

In this book you

may learn
Courtesy.

Yf thow be gentylmon, 30mon, or knaue, Every one needs

4 The nedis nurture for to haue.

When thou comes to a lordis 3ate,
The porter pou shalle fynde ther-ate;
Take hym thow shalt þy wepyn tho,

8 And aske hym leue in to go

To speke with lorde, lady, squyer, or grome.
Ther-to the nedys to take the tome 1;

For yf he be of loghe degre,

12 Than hym falles to come to the;
Yf he be gentylmon of kyñ,
The porter wille lede the to hym.
When thow come tho halle dor to,
16 Do of thy hode, thy gloues also

Yf po halle be at the furst mete,
This lessoun loke thow no3t for-zete:
be stuard, countroller, and tresurere,
20 Sittand at de deshe, pou haylse in fere.
¶ Within pe halle sett on ayther side,

Sitten other gentylmen as falles pat tyde;
Enclyne pe fayre to hom also,

24 First to the ryzht honde pou shalle go,

1 Toom or rymthe. Spacium, tempus, oportunitas. P. Parv.

it.

On reaching a Lord's gate, give the Porter your weapon, and ask leave to go in.

If the master is of low degree, he will come to you; if of high, the Porter will take you to him.

At the Hall-door, take off your hood and gloves.

If the first meal is beginning,

greet the Steward, &c., at the dais,

bow to the Gentlemen on each side of the hall,

both right

and left;

notice the yeomen, then stand before the screen

till the Marshal or Usher leads

you to the table.

Be sedate and courteous if you are set with the gentlemen.

Cut your loaf in two, the top from the bottom;

cut the top crust in 4,

and the bottom in 3.

Put your trencher

before you,

and don't eat or drink till your Mess is brought from the kitchen, lest you be thought starved or a glutton.

Have your nails clean.

Don't bite your bread,

but break it.

Don't quarrel at table,

or make grimaces.

Sitthen to po left honde þy neghe þou cast;
To hom pou boghe withouten wrast ';

Take hede to 30mon on þy ryght honde,
28 And sithen byfore the screne pou stonde
In myddys be halle opon pe flore,

Whille marshalle or vssher come fro pe dore,
And bydde the sitte, or to borde the lede.
32 Be stabulle of chere for menske 2, y rede ;
¶Yf he be sette at gentilmonnes borde,

Loke pou be hynde 3 and lytulle of worde.
Pare by brede and kerue in two,

36 Tho ouer crust po nether fro;

40

In fowre pou kutt po ouer dole,
Sett hom to-gedur as hit where hole;
Sithen kutt po nether crust in thre,
And turne hit down, lerne pis at me.
And lay thy trenchour pe be-fore,
And sitt vp-ryzht for any sore.

Spare brede or wyne, drynke or ale,
44 To thy messe of kochyñ be sett in sale;
Lest men sayne pou art hongur beteñ,
Or ellis a gloten pat alle men wyteñ,
Loke by naylys ben clene in blythe,

48 Lest þy felaghe lothe ther-wyth.

52

56

Byt not on thy brede and lay hit doun,-
That is no curteyse to vse in towñ;—
But breke as myche as pou wylle ete,
The remelant to pore pou shalle lete.
¶ In peese pou ete, and euer eschewe

4

To flyte at borde; pat may be rewe.
Yf þou make mawes 5 on any wyse,

A velany pou kacches or euer pou rise.

1 AS. wræsten, to writhe, twist.

2 grace, civility; from AS. mennise, human; cp. our double sense

of humanity. H. Coleridge.

3 courteous.

4 AS. Aytan, dispute, quarrel.

5 Mowe, or skorne. Vangia, vel valgia, cachinna. Promptorium.