68 THE MANNER OF SERUING A KNIGHT, SQUYRE, OR GENTLEMAN. When clearing the table, take when men haue well eaten, and doe begyn to wax weary of eatyng, or yf ye perceyue by the countenance of your Mayster when ye shall take vp the meate, & voyd the table, begin at the lowest messe, take away 1. the lowest mess, your spoones, if there be any, how be it ye may auoyd 2. the spoons, 3. broths and baked meats, 4. voiders, 5. dishes of meat. Then set down your them, after Broths & baked meat are past, take away your voiders1; and dishes of meat, as they were set down, so take them vp in order. Then set downe cheese of fruytes, and that ended, voyd your cheese and fruits, and couer your Cup, Ale, or Wyne: Fyrst voyde [2 Printed borad.] the Ale, and then the Wyne: Then set a broad2 voyder and put therin the small peces of Bread, and small fruit-cheese; remove it; then ale and wine. Sweep off the pieces and crumbs with your trencher-knife: remove the bread, voider, salt, and make your bow. crooms, with Trenchers and napkins, and with your trencher knyfe or napkin make clean the table, then set away your bread whole, and also your voyder, then take vp the salte, and make obeysaunce and marke if your Mayster vse to wash at the table, or standing: if he be at the table, cast a clean Towell on your table cloth, and set downe your basen and Ewer before your soueraigne, and take the ewer in your hand, and gyue them water. Then voyd your Basen and Ewer, and fold the bord cloth together with your towell therin, and so take them of the boord. And when your soueraygne shall wash, set your towell on the lefte hand of him, and the water before your soueraygne at dinner or supper; if it be to bedwarde, set vp your basyn and towell on the cupbord agayne. And if your Mayster will haue any conceites after dinner, as appels, Nuts, or creame, then lay forth a Towell on the boord, and set thereon a lofe or two, see also ye haue your trenchers and spones in a readynes if neede requyre, then serue forth your Mayster wel, and so take it vp againe with a voyder. [A voider or vessell, to take vp the Table with, dicitur vasculum fragmentarium, vel analectarium. Analecta, fragmentes of meate. Broken meates, fragmenta. Withals. Fr. Portoire. Any thing that helpes to carry another thing; as a Voyder, Skep, Scuttle, Wheelbarrow, &c. Cotgrave.] How to order your Maysters Put on your cupjug, candle, and board, a basin, towel; If you have preserves, &c., when empty. Keep full dishes covered till your master is set. Ray your Cupboord with a Cupboorde Cloth, wyth your Basyn, Ewer, Candle light, and Towell; if ye haue helpe, set one to beare a torch or some other lighte before him, and an other fellowe to beare a Towell, and bread for your table as you shall see neede. And if ye haue Banket dishes, whatsoeuer it be, as fruites put in dishes of fruits, sundry Dyshes, and all other confections, and conceyts of Spycery, also when the Dyshes are empty, auoyde remove them them from the Table; if your Soueraign be a Knight or Squyre, set downe your Dishes couered, and your Cup also. And if your Soueraygne be not set at the Table, lette your Dishes stande couered tyll hee be set, and when he is set, then take the Voyders & vncouer them: when your mayster intendeth to bedward, see that you At bed time, have haue Fyre and Candell suffycyent. Ye must haue fire and candle clean water at night and in the morning. If your Mayster lye in fresh sheets, dry of the moystnesse at the Dry damp sheets. fyre. If hee lye in a strange place, see his sheetes be cleane, then folde downe his bed, and warme his night Kercheife, and see his house of offyce be cleane, helpe of his cloathes, and drawe the Curteynes, make sure the fyre and Candles, auoyde the dogs, and shutte the dores; turn out the dogs. and at night or in the morning, your Mayster being alone, if ye haue any thing to say, it is good knowing his pleasure. In the morning if it be cold, make a fyre, and haue readye cleane water, bring him his petticote enough. See they are clean; kerchief, warm the night on cold mornings make a fire, bring your warm, see all cleanly about him, and master's petticote warme, with his doublet, and all his apparell cleane brusht, and his shoes made cleane, and help to araye him, trusse his poyntes, stryke vp his Hosen, and see all thing cleanlye aboute him; giue him good attendance, and especyally among straungers, for attendaunce doth please Maysters very well. Thus doing wyth dillygence, God will preferre you to honour and good Fortune. attend to him well. Here followeth the Booke of Nurture and 4 8 12 16 20 24 A Lye that wysdom seeke to learn, and would be called wyse: Obedience learn you in your youth, in age auoyde you vyce. I am full blynde in Poets Arte, thereof I can no skill: All elloquence I put apart, following myne owne wyll. Corrupt in speeche, be sure, am I, my breefes from longes to know, And born and bred in Deuonshyre to, as playne my tearmes doe show. Take the best, and leaue the worst, of truth I meane no yll: The matter is not curyous, the intent good, marke it well. Pardon I aske if I offend thus boldly now to wryte: To Mayster, seruaunt, yong and olde, Requyring friendly youth and age, if any doe amis, For to refourme and hate abuse, and mend where neede there is. Set your yong people forth with spede Learn Obedience in youth. Avoid vice in age. (I am no poet, but follow my own will, and use Devonshire terms; so take the good, and leave the ill, in what I say. I ask pardon if I offend in teaching masters and servants.) Set young people to learn good Manners. Vnto your Elders gentle be, agaynst them say no harme. If youth doe euill, their Parentes sure reape this reporte full soone: They that should teach other folkes good, belyke themselues haue none. A good Father, good children makes, grace being them within ; For as they be vsed in youth, in age they will begin. He that good manners seemes to lack, no wyse man doth set by ; in age ye shall lack honour. Fyrst dread you God, and flye from sin, Ryse you earely in the morning, Holynesse, health, and happy welth, vse commonly to ryse, |