Obrazy na stronie
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be boke hym calles a chorle of chere,
That vylany spekes be wemen sere:
For alle we ben of wymmen borñ,
264 And oure fadurs vs be-forne;
perfore hit is a vnhonest thyng

To speke of hem in any hethyng.
Also a wyfe be, falle of ry3t

268 To worschyp hyr husbonde bothe day and nyzt,
To his byddyng be obediente,

And hym to serue with-outen offence.
TYf two brether be at debate,
272 Loke noper pou forper in hor hate,
But helpe to staunche hom of malice ;
ben pou art frende to bothe I-wys.
T3if pou go with a-noper at po gate,
276 And 3e be bothe of on astate,

Be curtasye and let hym haue þe way,
That is no vylanye, as men me say;
And he be comen of gret kynraden,

280 Go no be-fore pawgh pou be beden;
And yf þat he þy maystur be,
Go not be-fore, for curtasé,

Noper in fylde, wode, noper launde, 284 Ne euen hym with, but he commaunde. ¶Yf pou schalle on pilgrimage go,

Be not be thryd felaw for wele ne wo;
Thre oxen in plowgh may neuer wel drawe,

288 Noper be craft, ry3t, ne lawe,

T3if pou be profert to drynk of cup,
Drynke not al of, ne no way sup;
Drynk menskely and gyf agayne,

292 pat is a curtasye, to speke in playne.
In bedde yf pou falle herberet to be,
With felawe, maystur, or her degré,

1 contempt, scorn. O.N. hebung, H. Coleridge.

for we and our fathers were all born of women.

A wife should honour and obey her husband,

and serve him.

Try to reconcile brothers if they quarrel.

At a gate,
let your equal
precede you;

go behind your superior

and your master

unless he bids you go beside him.

On a pilgrimage don't be third man:

3 oxen can't draw

a plough.

[Fol. 17.]

Don't drink all that's in a cup

offered you; take a little.

If you sleep

with any man, ask what part of

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pou schalt enquere be curtasye

296 In what par[t] of pe bedde he wylle lye ;
Be honest and lye pou fer hym fro,

hou art not wyse but pou do so.

¶With woso men, bope fer and negh,
300 The falle to go, loke pou be slegh

To aske his nome, and qweche he be,
Whidur he wille: kepe welle pes thre.
With freres on pilgrimage yf þat þou go,
304 þat þei wille 3yme,' wilne pou also ;
Als on nyt pou take by rest,

And byde pe day as tru mannes gest.
¶ In no kyn house pat rede mon is,
308 Ne womon of po same colour y-wys,
Take neuer þy Innes for no kyn nede,
For pose be folke pat ar to drede.

¶Yf any thurgh sturnes þe oppose,

312 Onswere hym mekely and make hym glose: But glosand wordys þat falsed is,

Forsake, and alle that is omys.

Also yf pou haue a lorde,

316 And stondes by-fore hym at þe borde,
While pat pou speke, kepe welle by honde,

Thy fete also in pece let stonde,

THis curtasé nede he most breke,—

320 Stirraunt fyngurs toos when he shalle speke.
Be stabulle of chere and sumwhat lyzt,
Ne ouer alle wayue pou not thy syzt;
Gase not on walles with by neghe,
324 Fyr ne negh, logh ne heghe;

Let not pe post be-cum þy staf,
Lest pou be callet a dotet daf;

Ne delf pou neuer nose thyrle

328 With thombe ne fyngur, as 3ong gyrle;

1 AS. gyman, attend, regard, observe, keep.

2 thine eye

Rob not by arme ne no3t hit claw,

Ne bogh not doun þy hede to law;
Whil any man spekes with grete besenes,
332 Herken his wordis with-outen distresse.
¶ By strete or way yf pou schalle go,
Fro pes two þynges pou kepe pe fro,
Noper to harme chylde ne best,

336 With castyng, turnyng west ne est;
Ne chaunge pou not in face coloure,
For lyghtnes of worde in halle ne boure;
Yf þy vysage chaunge for not,

340 Men say þe trespas pou hase wrozght.'
By-fore by lorde, ne mawes pou make
3if pou wylle curtasie with pe take.

With hondes vnwasshen take neuer þy mete; 344 Fro alle pes vices loke pou þe kepe.

Loke pou sytt—and make no stryf—
Where po est commaundys, or ellis po wyf.
Eschewe pe hezest place with wyn,2
348 But pou be beden to sitt per-in.
Of curtasie here endis pe secunde fyt,
To heuen crist mot oure saules flyt!

scratch your arm, or stoop your head.

Listen when

you're spoken to.

Never harm child

or beast with evil eye (?)

Don't blush when you're chaffed,

or you'll be
accused of
mischief.

Don't make faces.

Wash before eating.

Sit where the host

[Fol. 18.]

tells you; avoid the highest place unless you're told to take it.

352

356

THE THIRD BOOK.

De officiarijs in curijs dominorum.

N

Ow speke we wylle of officiers.

Of court, and als of hor mestiers.

Of the Officers in
Lords' Courts.

Foure men per beñ þat zerdis schalle Four bear rods;

bere,

Porter, marshalle, stuarde, vsshere;

The porter schalle haue pe lengest wande,

three wands:

1. Porter, the longest,

The marshalle a schorter schalle haue in hande; 2. Marshal,

1 Read ost

2 AS. win, contention, labour, war; win, wyn, joy, pleasure.

3. Usher, the shortest,

4. Steward, a staff,

a finger thick, half a yard long.

Of the Porter.

He keeps the Gate

and Stocks,

takes charge of misdoers

till judged,

also of clothes,

and warns strangers.

He is found in meat and drink.

On his lord's removing,

he hires horses at 4d. a piece,

the statute price.

Of the Marshal

of the Hall.

The vssher of chambur smallest schalle haue,
The stuarde in honde schalle haue a stafe,
A fyngur gret, two wharters long,
360 To reule pe men of court ymong.

¶ De Ianitore.'

The porter falle to kepe po zate,
be stokkes with hym erly and late ;
3if any man hase in court mys-gayne,
364 To porter warde he schalle be tane,
per to a-byde pe lordes wylle,

What he wille deme by ry3twys skylle.
For wesselle clothes, pat nozt be solde,
368 be po[r]ter hase put warde in holde.
Of strangers also pat comen to court,
po porter schalle warne ser at a worde.
Lyueray he hase of mete and drynke,
372 And settis with hym who so hym thynke.
When so euer po lorde remewe schalle
To castelle til oper as hit may falle,
For cariage pe porter hors schalle hyre,
376 Foure pens a pece with-in po schyre;
Be statut he schalle take pat on þe day,
bat is pe kyngis crye in faye.

380

¶ De Marescallo aule.2

Now of marschalle of halle wylle I spelle,3
And what falle to hys offyce now wylle y telle;

1 See the duties of Prince Edward's Porters, A.d. 1474, in Household Ordinances, p. 30, and of Henry VIII.'s Porters, ibid p. 239.

2 Though Edward IV. had Marshals (Household Ordinances, p84, &c.), one of whom made the Surnape when the King was in the Hall (p. 32), or Estate in the Surnape (p. 38), yet there is no separate heading or allowance for them in the Liber Niger. Two ycomen Ushers are mentioned in p. 38, but the two yeomen Ewars, their two Grooms and Page, p. 84, perform (nearly) the duties given above to the Usher and his Grooms.

3 MS. spckle.

In absence of stuarde he shalle arest
Who so euer is rebelle in court or fest;
3omon-vsshere, and grome also,

384 Vndur hym ar þes two:

bo grome for fuelle pat schalle brenne

In halle, chambur, to kechyn, as I pe kenne,
He shalle delyuer hit ilke a dele,

388 In halle make fyre at yche a mele;

Borde, trestuls, and formes also,

he cupborde in his warde schalle go,
þe dosurs cortines to henge in halle,

392 þes offices nede do he schalle;

Bryng in fyre on alhalawgh day,

To condulmas euen, I dar welle say.

He shall arrest rebels, when the steward is away. Yeoman-Usher and Groom a.e under him.

The Groom gets fuel for the fire,

and makes one in Hall for every meal;

looks after tables,
trestles, forms,
the cup-board,
and hangings of
the Hall.

Fires last from
Allsaints' Day to
Candlemas Eve,

(Nov. 1 to Feb. 2.)

¶ Per quantum tempus armigeri habebunt liberatam et How long Squires

ignis ardebit in aula.

So longe squiers lyuerés shalle hafe,'

396 Of grome of halle, or ellis his knafe;
But fyre shalle brenne in halle at mete,
To Cena domini þat men hase ete;
her browzt schalle be a holyn kene,
400 pat sett schalle be in erber grene,

And pat schalle be to alhalawgh day,
And of be skyfted, as y þe say.

In halle marshalle alle men schalle sett 401 After here degré, with-outen lett.2

1 Edward IV.'s Esquiers for the Body, IIII, had 'for wynter lyverey from All Hallowentide (Nov. 1) tyll Estyr, one percher wax, one candell wax, ij candells Paris, one tallwood and dimidium, and wages in the countyng-house.' H. Ord. p. 36. So the Bannerettes, IIII, or Bacheler Knights (p. 32), who are kervers and cupberers, take for wynter season, from Allhallowentyde till Estyr, one tortays, one percher, ii candelles wax, ii candelles Paris, ii talwood, ii faggotts,' and rushes, litter, all the year; which the Esquiers have too. The Percy household allowance of Wax was cciiij score vij lb. dimid. of Wax for th' expensys of my House for oone hole Yere. Viz. Sysez, Pryketts, Quarions, and Torches after ix d. the lb. by estimacion; p. 12.

2 The Liber Niger of Edw. IV. assigns this duty to one of the Gentylmen Usshers. H. Ord. p. 37.

shall have allowances, and Fire shall burn in the Hall,

and thus long, Squires receive their daily candle? (see 1. 839.)

[Fol. 19.]

The Marshal shall seat men in the Hall.

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