be boke hym calles a chorle of chere, To speke of hem in any hethyng. 268 To worschyp hyr husbonde bothe day and nyzt, And hym to serue with-outen offence. Be curtasye and let hym haue þe way, 280 Go no be-fore pawgh pou be beden; 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; 288 Noper be craft, ry3t, ne lawe, T3if pou be profert to drynk of cup, 292 pat is a curtasye, to speke in playne. 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, 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 pou schalt enquere be curtasye 296 In what par[t] of pe bedde he wylle lye ; hou art not wyse but pou do so. ¶With woso men, bope fer and negh, To aske his nome, and qweche he be, And byde pe day as tru mannes gest. ¶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, Thy fete also in pece let stonde, THis curtasé nede he most breke,— 320 Stirraunt fyngurs toos when he shalle speke. Let not pe post be-cum þy staf, 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; 336 With castyng, turnyng west ne est; 340 Men say þe trespas pou hase wrozght.' With hondes vnwasshen take neuer þy mete; 344 Fro alle pes vices loke pou þe kepe. Loke pou sytt—and make no stryf— 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 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 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, ¶ De Ianitore.' The porter falle to kepe po zate, What he wille deme by ry3twys skylle. 380 ¶ De Marescallo aule.2 Now of marschalle of halle wylle I spelle,3 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 384 Vndur hym ar þes two: bo grome for fuelle pat schalle brenne In halle, chambur, to kechyn, as I pe kenne, 388 In halle make fyre at yche a mele; Borde, trestuls, and formes also, he cupborde in his warde schalle go, 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, Fires last from (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; And pat schalle be to alhalawgh day, 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. |