Don't pick your teeth at meals,

or drink with food in your mouth,

as you may get choked,

or killed, by its stopping your wind.

Tell no tale

to harm or shame your companions.

Don't stroke the cat or dog.

Don't dirty the table cloth with your knife.

Don't blow on your food,

or put your knife in your mouth,

or wipe your teeth [Fol. 14.]

or eyes with the table cloth.

If you sit by a good man,

don't put your knee under his thigh.

Don't hand your cup to any one

with your back towards him.

Don't lean on your elbow,

Clense not thi tethe at mete sittande,
With knyfe ne stre, styk ne wande.
While pou holdes mete in mouthe, be war
96 To drynke, pat is an-honest1 char,
¶ And also fysike for-bedes hit,

And sais pou may be choket at þat byt;
Yf hit go by wrang throte into,

100 And stoppe þy wynde, pou art fordo.
Ne telle pou neuer at borde no tale
To harme or shame þy felawe in sale ;
For if he then withholde his methe 2,
104 Eftsons he wylle forcast pi dethe.
¶ Where-sere pou sitt at mete in borde,
Avoide pe cat at on bare worde,
For yf pou stroke cat oper dogge,
108 pou art lyke an ape teyzed with a clogge.
Also eschewe, with-outen stryfe,

To foule pe borde clothe with pi knyfe;
Ne blow not on by drynke ne mete,

112 Neper for colde, neper for hete;

With mete ne bere by knyfe to mowthe,
Wheper pou be sett be strong or couthe;
Ne with po borde clothe pi tethe pou wype,
116 Ne þy nyen pat rennen rede, as may betyde.
Yf pou sitt by a ry3ht good mañ,
his lesson loke pou þenke apoñ:
Vndur his thezghe þy kne not pit,
120 pou ar fulle lewed yf pou dose hit.

Ne bacwarde sittande gyf no3t þy cupe,
Noper to drynke, noper to suppe ;
Bidde pi frende take cuppe and drynke,
124 pat is holden an honest thyng.

Lene not on elbowe at þy mete,

Noper for colde ne for hete;

1

an privative, unhonest.

2 AS. mod, mood, passion, violence.

Dip not pi thombe þy drynke into, 128 hou art vncurtayse yf þou hit do; In salt saler yf þat pou pit

Oper fisshe or flesshe þat men may wyt,
bat is a vyce, as men me telles,
132 And gret wonder hit most be elles.
¶ After mete when pou shalt wasshe,
Spitt not in basyn, ne water pou dasshe;
Ne spit not lorely, for no kyn mede,
136 Be-fore no mon of god for drede.

Who so euer despise pis lessoun ryzt,
At borde to sitt he hase no myzt.
Here endys now oure fyrst talkyng,
140 Crist graunt vs alle his dere blessyng!

Here endithe pe [first] boke of curtasye.

or dip your thumb into your drink, or your food into the salt cellar :

That is a vice.

Don't spit in the basin you wash in

or loosely (?) before a man of

God.

Y

THE SECOND BOOK.

F that pou be a 3ong enfaunt,

And thenke po scoles for to haunt,

If you go to
school

This lessoun schalle by maistur þe merke, you shall learn:

144 Croscrist þe spede in alle pi werke ;

Sytthen by pater noster he wille pe teche, As cristes owne postles con preche; Aftur þy Aue maria and pi crede, 148 pat shalle pe saue at dome of drede; ¶Then aftur to blesse pe with pe trinité, In nomine patris teche he wille þe; ben with marke, mathew, luke, and Ion, 152 With pe per crucis and the hegh name; To schryue pe in general pou schalle lere by Confiteor and misereatur in fere.

1. Cross of Christ,

2. Pater Noster,

8. Hail Mary and the Creed,

4. In the name of the Trinity,

5. of the Apostles,

6, the Confession.

Seek the kingdom of God, and

worship Him.

At church, take holy water;

pray for all Christian companions;

kneel to God on both knees,

to man only on

one.

At the Altar, serve the priest

with both hands.

Speak gently to your father and [Fol. 15.]

mother, and honour them.

Do to others as

you would they should do to you.

Don't be foolishly meek.

The seed of the righteous shall

To seche þe kyngdam of god, my chylde, 156 perto y rede pou be not wylde.

Ther-fore worschip god, bothe olde and 3ong,
To be in body and soule yliche stronge
When pou comes to po chirche dore,
160 Take pe haly water stondand on flore;
¶ Rede or synge or byd prayeris

To crist, for alle by crysten ferys;
Be curtayse to god, and knele doun
164 On bothe knees with grete deuocioun.
¶ To mon pou shalle knele opon þe toñ,
be toper to by self þou halde aloñ.

When pou ministers at þe heghe autere,
168 With bothe hondes pou serue po prest in fere,
be ton to stabulle pe toper

Lest pou fayle, my dere broper.

Anoper curtayse y wylle pe teche,

172 Thy fadur And modur, with mylde speche,

In worschip and serue with alle þy my3t,
pat pou dwelle pe lengur in erthely lyzt.
¶ To anoper man do no more amys

176 Then pou woldys be doñ of hym and hys;
So crist pou pleses, and getes pe loue
Of men and god pat syttis aboue.
¶ Be not to meke, but in mene pe holde,
180 For ellis a fole pou wylle be tolde.
He pat to ryztwysnes wylle enclyne,
As holy wry3t says vs wele and fyne,
His sede schalle neuer go seche hor brede,
Ne suffur of mon no shames dede.

never beg or

be shamed.

184

Gyf hym boner wordys on fayre manere, 192 With glad semblaunt and pure good cher. Also of seruice pou shalle be fre

To euery mon in hys degré.

bou schalle neuer lose for to be kynde; 196 That on forzetis anoper hase in mynde. ¶Yf Any man haue part with pe in gyft, With hym pou make an euen skyft; Let hit not henge in honde for glose, 200 hou art vncurtayse yf pou hyt dose. To sayntis yf þou þy gate hase hy3t, Thou schalle fulfylle hit with alle þy my3t, Lest god pe stryk with grete veniaunce,

204 And pyt þe in-to sore penaunce.

¶ Leue not alle men that speke pe fayre, Wheper pat hit ben comyns, burges, or mayre; In swete wordis pe nedder was closet, 208 Disseyuaunt euer and mysloset;

per-fore pou art of adams blode, With wordis be ware, but pou be wode: A schort worde is comynly sothe 212 þat fyrst slydes fro monnes tothe.

Loke lyzer neuer þat pou be-come,

Kepe þys worde for alle and somme.
Lawze not to of[t] for no solace,

216 For no kyn myrthe þat any man mase;
Who lawes alle þat men may se,
A schrew or a fole hym semes to be.
Thre enmys in þys worlde per are,
220 pat coueyten alle men to for-fare,-
The deuel, pe flesshe, pe worlde also,
That wyrkyn mankynde ful mykyl wo:
Yf þou may strye þes pre enmys,

224 pou may be secur of heuen blys.
Also, my chylde, a-gaynes þy lorde
Loke pou stryfe with no kyn worde,

give him good words.

[ MS. semblamt]

Be willing to

help every one.

Give your partner his fair share.

Go on the pilgrimages (?) you vow to saints,

lest God take vengeance on you.

Don't believe all who speak fair:

the Serpent spoke
fair words (to
Eve).

Be cautious with your words, except when angry.

Don't lie, but keep your word.

Don't laugh too often,

or you'll be

called a shrew or a fool.

Man's 3 enemies are:

the Devil, the Flesh, and the World.

Destroy these, and be sure of heaven.

Don't strive with your lord,

or bet or play with him.

[Fol. 16.]

In a strange place

don't be too inqui sitive or fussy.

If a man falls,

don't laugh, but help him up:

your own head

may fall to your feet.

At the Mass, if the priest doesn't please you,

don't blame him.

Don't tell your secrets to a shrew.

Don't beckon, point, or whisper.

When you meet

a man, greet him,

or answer him cheerily if he greets you:

don't be dumb,

lest men say you have no mouth.

Never speak improperly of women,

Ne waiour non with hym pou lay, 228 Ne at þe dyces with hym to play. Hym that pou knawes of gretter state, Be not hys felaw in rest ne bate. 3if pou be stad in strange contré, 232 Enserche no fyr pen falles to the,

Ne take no more to do on honde,

ben pou may hafe menske of alle in londe.
3if pou se any mon fal by strete,

236 Laweghe not per-at in drye ne wete,
But helpe hym vp with alle by my3t,
As seynt Ambrose pe teches ryzt;
pou that stondys so sure on sete,

240 Ware lest þy hede falle to by fete.
My chylde, yf pou stonde at po masse,
At vndur stondis bothe more and lasse,
Yf po prest rede not at þy wylle,

244 Repreue hym no3t, but holde pe stylle.
To any wyzt þy counselle yf pou schewe,
Be war þat he be not a schrewe,

Lest he disclaundyr þe with tong

248 Amonge alle men, bothe olde and 3ong. Bekenyng, fynguryng, non pou vse,

And pryué rownyng loke pou refuse.

Yf pou mete knyzt, 30mon, or knaue,

252 Haylys hym a-non, "syre, god zou saue."
Yf he speke fyrst opon pe pore,

Onsware hym gladly with-outen more.
Go not forthe as a dombe freke,

256 Syn god hase laft the tonge to speke;
Lest men sey be sibbe or couthe,'
"3ond is a mon with-outen mouthe."
Speke neuer vnhonestly of woman kynde,
260 Ne let hit neuer renne in þy mynde ;.

1 to relation or friend.