For it is betere with reste and pees,
A melis meete of hoomeli fare,

pan for to haue an hundrid mees
92 With grucchinge & wip myche care;
And perfore leerne weel pis lore,
If pou wolt haue a wijf with eese,
For ritchesse take hir neuere þe more
96 pouz sche wolde pee bope feffe & ceese.

And pou schalt not pi wijf displese,
Neiper calle hir bi no vilouns name;
And if pou do, pou art not wijs,

100 To calle hir foule it is þi schame ;

If pou pin owne wijf wilt defame,
No wondir pouz anoþir do so,

But softe & faire a man may tame 104 Bope herte and hynde, bucke & do.

And y wole neipir glose ne peynt,
But y waarne pee on pe opir side,
If þi wijf come wip a playnt

108 On man or child at ony tide,

Be not to hasti to fizte & chide,

And be not a-wreke til pou know be sope, For in wrappe pou myzte make a braide 112 pat aftirwarde schulde rewe zou bope.

And sonne, if pou be weel at eese,
And warme amonge þi neizboris sitte,
Be not newfangil in no wise

116 Neiper hasti for to chaunge ne flitte,

120

And if pou do, pou wantist witte
And art vnstable on euery side,
And also men wole speke of itt,

And seie "pis foole can no where abide."

Peace and homely fare are better than 100 dishes

with quarrels.

If you want a quiet life, don't choose a wife for her money.

Don't cross your wife or call her names.

Soft and fair will tame anything.

But mind,

don't be too ready to believe your wife's complaints,

or you may both rue it.

When you are comfortably settled,

[1 MS. wisee]

don't be in a hurry to change,

or men will call you a fool.

[Page 192.]

The more you have, the meeker

you should be.

Only fools brag.

Riches vanish at death.

See how little good other men's property does them when they die, and strangers

marry their wives and take their inoney.

Make amends for your sins,

try to save your soul.

[Page 193.]

Set not by this world's wealth.

Nothing is so certain as death,

so ponder my words,

and may Jesus

bring us to His bliss.'

124

And sonne, pe more good pat pou hast,
be raper here pee meeke and lowe,
And booste not myche, it is but waast;
Bi boostynge, men mowe foolis knowe.
And loke pou paye weel þat þou doost owe,
And bi opir richesse sette no greet price,
For deep wole take bope hize and lowe,
128 And pan fare-weel al pat pere is.

And perfore do pou bi my councelle,
And take ensaumple of opir men,
How litil her good doop hem a-vaile
132 Whanne pei be doluen in her den,
And he þat was not of hys kyn
Hap his wijf, and al þat þere is.
Sonne, kepe pee out of deedly synne,
136 And asaye to gete pee paradijs,

And of pi trespas make a-meendis,
And to poore men of þi good pou dele,
And of pi foo-men make pi freendis,
140 And asaye to gete pee soule heele,
For pe world is bope fals and freel,
And euery day it doop appaire :
Sonne, sette not bi pis worldis weele,
144 For it farip but as a cheri faire.

And deep is euere, as y trowe,

he moost certeyn þing þat is,

And no ping is so vncerteyn to knowe

148 As is pe tyme of deep y-wis :

herfore my sonne, pinke on pis
Of al þat y haue seid biforn,
And ihesu bringe us to his blis

152 þat for vs bare pe crowne of porn! Amen.

Recipes.

[From Harleian MS. 5401, ab. 1480-1500 A.D.]

1

FRUTURS. (page 194 or fol. 69 b.)

Recipe pe cromys of whyte brede, & swete apyls, & 30kkis of eggis, & bray þam wele, & temper it with wyne, & make it to sethe ; & when it is thyk, do per-to gode spyces, gynger & galingay & canyll & clows, & serve it forthe. (See also Liber Cure Cocorum, p. 39-40.)

FRUTURS OF FYGIS. (p. 197 or fol. 98.)

Recipe & make bature of floure, ale, peper & saferon, with oper spices; pan cast þam 2 in to a frying pann with batur, & ole, & bake pam & serve. (See another recipe in Household Ordinances, p. 450, under the head "Turtelettys of Fruture.")

IUSSELL. (p. 198 or fol. 98 b.)

Recipe brede gratyd, & eggis; & swyng pam to-gydere, & do perto sawge, & saferon, & salt; pan take gode brothe, & cast it per-to, & bole it enforesayd, & do per-to as to charlete &c. (See also Liber Cure Cocorum, p. 11; Jussel of Flesh, Household Ordinances, p. 462; Jussel enforsed, p. 463; Jussel of Fysshe, p. 469.)

MAWMENY. (p. 201 or fol. 100.)

Recipe brawne of Capons or of hennys, & dry pam wele, & towse pam smalle; þan take thyk mylk of almonds, & put pe saide brawn per-to, & styr it wele ouer þe fyre, & seson it with suger, & powder of Canelle, with mase, quibibs, & anneys in confete, & serve it forthe. (See also the recipe "For to make momene in Liber Cure Cocorum, p. 26; for "Mawmene for xl. Mees" in Household Ordinances, p. 455; and "Mawmene to Potage," p. 430.)

FRETOURE. (Harl. MS. 276.)

Vyaunde leche. Fretoure. Take whete Floure, Ale, 3est, Safroun, & L.iiii. Salt, & bete alle to-gederys as pikke as pou schuldyst make oper bature in fleyssche tyme, & pan take fayre Applys, & kut hem in maner of Fretourys, & wete hem in pe bature vp on downe, & frye hem in fayre Oyle, & caste hem in a dyssche, & caste Sugre per-on, & serue forth. [The recipe for "Tansye" is No. 1.vi.]

1 The p is always y in Harl. 5401.

2 that is, the figs.

If you can't get a doctor,

be careful in your diet.

Eat moder

ately, work temperately,

be meek, not anxious,

nor grudging, but cheerful.

[Page 183.] Keep your feet and head from cold.

Rise from meals with an appetite.

Be chaste,

not wrathful,

and don't sup late.

Don't dine before you have an

appetite.

A Diatorie.

[Lambeth MS. 853, ab. 1430 A.D., page 182.]

To be rulid bi pis diatorie do pi diligence,
For it techip good diete & good gouernaunce.

IF

(1. LATIN II.)

so be pat lechis doon þee faile, Vse good diete bi pe councel of me,— Mesurable fedyng and temperat trauaile,-4 And be not maliciose for noon aduersite, But be meeke in trouble, glad in pouerte, Not pensif ne pou3tful for ony sodein chaunce, Not grutchinge, but myrie aftir þi degree. 8 If fisijk lacke, make pis pi gouernaunce,

(II. LATIN I.)

¶ Kepe from colde pi feet, pi stomak, & pin heed; Ete no raw mete, take good hede perto,

Drinke holsum drinke, & feede pee on list breed, 12 & with an appitid from pi mete looke pat pou goo. Lede pi lijf in chastite, pou schalt finde it best so; Drinke not vpon pi sleep, but do as y pee teche, And bere no wrappe to freende ne to foo; vse not to soupe late, ne to drinke myche.

16

(III. LATIN IV.)

¶ Digne not on þe morewe to-fore pin appitide; Cleer eir & walking makip good digestioun.

Dietarium.

[Sloane MS. 3534, ab. 1460 a.d., fol. 1.]

(I. ENGLISH II.)

Vixeris ut sanus, capud ex algore tegatur,
Ne comedas aliqua cruda, salubre bibas
Vinum, te pasce leui pane que, dum petis illos,

4 Surge, relinque cibos; effugias vetulas;

Non cito post sompnum bibe, letus adito graba-
tum,

Exsurgas hillaris: cero que cena nocet.

(II. ENGLISH I.)

Si phisici desint, onus & moderata dieta, 8 Rebus in oppositis non malus esto tuis,

Mitis in aduersis, in paupertate ioceris ;
Sis modico diues ; quod satis est, placeat,
Non tibi murmur erit; ut conuenit, esto iocun

dus:

12 Si phisici desint, hoc tibi fac regimen.

(III. ENGLISH V.)

Non omni mox dicto credas, nec impetuosus

Sis, aut vlciscens materias subito ;

Pauperibus vmquam non monstres te violentem ;

16 In verbis lepidus, edendo sis mensuratus. Escas si varias mensa proponi continget,

Non auide sumas, nec videaris edax.

Loquendo prudens, vel linguam stude frenare;

20 Non verbo decipiens, quod melius stude proferre.

[1 for opus]