Of the Panter.

He carries 3

loaves cut square for trenchers,

and the covered
Saltcellar,
[Fol. 24.]

2 Carving-knives, and sets the 3rd, and a spoon to his lord.

Of the Lord's Knives, (Bread, and Washing.)

The hafts of 2 are laid outwards, that of the 3rd inwards, and the steel spoon by it. More trencher loaves are set, and wine served to the Duchess.

2 Trencher-loaves, and salt, to the lord's son; and 1 loaf and saltcellar set at the end of the table.

Then 3 loaves of white bread are brought, and 1 coarse loaf is put in the Alms-dish.

To assay bread,

the Panter kneels,

the Carver cuts him a slice,

and he eats it.

The Ewerer

strains water into his basins,

on the upper one

of which is a towel

De panetario.

¶ benne comes pe pantere with loues thre,
668 þat square are coruyn of trenchour fre,
To sett with-inne and oon with-oute,

And saller y-coueryd and sett in route;
With po ouemast lofe hit shalle be sett,
672 With-oute forthe square, with-outen lett ;
Two keruyng knyfes with-oute one,
be thrydde to po lorde, and als a spone.

¶ De Cultellis domini.

¶ Of po two po haftes schynne outwarde be,
676 Of þe thrydd þe hafte inwarde lays he,

be spony stele per by schalle be layde;
Moo loues of trenchirres at a brayde

He settes, and seruys euyr in fere

680 To duches his wyne pat is so dere.
Two loues of trenchors and salt po,

He settes be-fore his son also;

A lofe of trenchours and salt on last,

684 At bordes ende he settes in hast.

ben brede he brynges, in towelle wrythyn,
Thre lofys of po wyte schalle be geuyñ;
A chet lofe to po elmys dyshe,

688 Weper he seruyd be with flesshe or fysche;
At aper ende he castes a cope,

Layde down on borde, pe endys plyed vp.
That he assayes knelande on kne,

692 po keruer hym parys a schyuer so fre;
And touches po louys yn quere a-boute,
po pantere hit etys with-oute dowte;
bo euwere thurgh towelle syles' clene,
696 His water into po bassynges shene;
po ouer bassyn þer-on schalle close,
A towelle per-on, as I suppose,

1? Du. zijgen (door een zifte ofte Stramijn), to runne (through a Sift or a Strainer.). een Suyle a Pale or a Water-pale. Hexham.

bat folden schalle be with fulle grete lore,
700 Two quarters on lenkethe and sumdele more;
A qwyte cuppe of tre per-by shalle be,
ber-with po water assay schalle he;
Quelmes hit agayn by-fore alle men ;
704 po keruer pe bassynges tase vp þenne;
Annaunciande squier, or ellis a knyzt,

po towelle down tase by fulle good ry3t;
po cuppe he tase in honde also,

708 po keruer powres wat[er] be cuppe into ;

The knyst to po keruer haldes anon,
He says hit ar he more schalle doñ;

bo cuppe pen voyde is in po flette,2

712 be euwer hit takes with-outen lette.

The towelle two knyzhtis schyn halde in fere,
Be-fore pe lordes sleues, pat ben so dere ;

The ouer bassyn þay halde neuer þe queder,

716 Quylle po keruer powre water in-to pe nedur.
For a pype per is insyde so clene,

hat water deuoydes, of seluer schene ;
ben settes he pe nethyr, I vnd[u]rstonde,

720 In þe ouer, and voydes with bothe is honde ;
And brynges to pe euwer per he come fro;
To po lordys bordes azayn con go;
And layes iiij trenchours po lorde be-fore,

724 pe fyft aboue by good lore;

By hym self thre schalle he dresse,
To cut opon pe lordes messe;

Smale towelle a-boute his necke shalle bene, 728 To clens his knyfys pat ben so kene.

De Elemosinario.3

¶The aumenere by pis hathe sayde grace,
And po almes dysshe hase sett in place;

1 covers. Parv.

'Ovyr quelmyd or ouer hyllyde. Obvolutus.' P. 2 A,S. flett, room, hall. 3 See The Almonry of Henry VIII. A.D. 1526, H. Ord. p. 154, and p. 144; A.D. 1539, H. Ord. p. 239.

folded dodgily.

Then the water
is assayed in a
cup of white wood.

The Carver takes up the basins; a knight takes down the towel, and wipes the cup, into which the Carver pours water; the

knight hands it to him; he assays it, and empties the cup

Two knights hold the towel before the lord's sleeves, and hold the upper basia while the Carver pours water into the lower;

then he puts the lower into the upper,and empties both,

takes them to the Ewerer, returns to the lord's table, lays 4 trenchers for him, with 1 above.

The Carver takes 3 to cut the lord's messes on,

[Fol. 25.] and has a cloth round his neck to wipe his knives

on.

Of the Almoner.

He says grace, sets down the Alms-dish, and

the Carver puts the first loaf in it.

The other loaves

he pares round,

cuts one in two, and gives the upper half in

halves to him.

The Almoner has a staff in his

hand.

He keeps the broken food and wine left, for poor men at the gate,

and is sworn to give it all to them.

He distributes

silver as he rides.

Of the Sewer (or setter-on of Dishes).

The Cook assays

the meat before

it's dished.

The Sewer puts the cover on it,

and the cover

must never be raised

for fear of

treason.

(A Dodge: If the

silver dish burns

you,

put bits of bread under it.)

The Sewer assays

all the food:

per-in þe keruer a lofe schalle sette, 732 To serue god fyrst with-outen lette; bese oper lofes he parys a-boute,

Lays hit myd dysshe with-outen doute. be smalle lofe he cuttis euen in twynne, 736 po ouer dole in two lays to hym.

The aumenere a rod schalle haue in honde,
As office for almes, y vndurstonde.
Alle pe broken met he kepys y wate,

740 To dele to pore men at þe zate,

And drynke pat leues serued in halle;
Of ryche and pore bothe grete and smalle.
He is sworne to ouer-se pe seruis wele,
744 And dele hit to pe pore euery dele ;
Seluer he deles rydand by way;
And his almys dysshe, as I 3ou say,
To pe porest man þat he can fynde,

748 Oper ellys I wot he is vnkynde.

De ferculario.

This wyle po squyer to kechyn shalle go,
And brynges a bof for assay po;

po Coke assayes þe mete vngryzt,

752 po sewer he takes and kouers on ryzt;
Wo so euer he takes pat mete to bere,
Schalle not so hardy po couertoure rere,
For colde ne hote, I warne 3ou alle,

756 For suspecyon of tresoun as may befalle.
Yf po syluer dysshe wylle algate brenne,
A sotelté I wylle pe kenne,

Take pe bredde coruyn and lay by-twene, 760 And kepe pe welle hit be not sene; I teche hit for no curtayse,

764

But for þyn ese.

When pe sewer comys vnto pe borde,
Alle pe mete he sayes at on bare worde,

768

be potage fyrst with brede y-coruyn, Couerys hom agayn lest þey ben storuyn; With fysshe or flessh yf [they] be serued, A morselle per-of shalle he be keruyd ; And touche pe messe ouer alle aboute, po sewer hit etis with-outen doute. With baken mete yf he seruyd be po, 772 po lydes vp-rered or he fyr go,

be past or pye he sayes with-inne,

Dippes bredde in graué no more ne mynne; 3if þe baken mete be colde, as may byfalle, 776 A gobet of po self he sayes with-alle.

But pou pat berys mete in hande,
Yf po sewer stonde, loke pou stande;

Yf he knele, knele pou so longe for o3t,
780 Tylle mete be sayde pat pou hase broght.
As oft at hegh borde yf brede be nede,
The butler two louys takys indede;

hat on settes down, pat oper agayn 784 He barys to cupborde in towelle playn. As oft as pe keruer fettys drynke,

he butler assayes hit how good hym thynke; In þe lordys cupp pat leuys vndrynken, 788 Into þe almesdisshe hit schalle be sonken. The keruer anon with-outen thou3t, Vnkouers pe cup pat he hase brouzt; Into pe couertoure wyn he powres owt, 792 Or in-to a spare pece, with-outen doute; Assayes, an gefes po lorde to drynke, Or settes hit doun as hym goode thynke. po keruerschalle kerue po lordes mete,

1 Edward IV. had Bannerettes, IIII, or Bacheler Knights, to be kervers and cupberers in his Courte.' 'The kerver at the boarde, after the King is passed it, may chese for hymself one dyshe or two, that plentie is among.. Theis kervers and cupberers them nedeth to be well spede in teking of degree in the schole of urbanytie.' H. Ord. p. 32-3.

potage with a piece of bread;

fish or flesh, he eats a piece;

baked meats hot, he lifts up the crust,

and dips bread in
the gravy;
baked meats cold,
he eats a bit.

The meat-bearer stands or kneels as the Sewer does

[Fol. 26.]

When bread is wanted, the Butler puts one loaf on the table, the other on the cupboard.

The Butler assays all the wine.

What is left in the lord's cup goes to the Almsdish.

The Carver fills

the empty cup,

assays it, and gives it the lord or puts it down.

He carves the lord's meat,

and lays it on his trencher,

putting a piece of every thing in the Alms-dish,

except any

favourite piece or

potage sent to a stranger.

(To say more

about the Carver would require another section, so I pass it over.)

After dinner the Sewer brings the Surnape, a broad towel and a

narrow, and slides it down.

The Usher takes

one end of the

broad, the

Almoner the

other, and when

it is laid,

he folds the

narrow towel

double before his lord and lady.

After grace removes them,

lays the table on the floor, and takes away the trestles.

Of the Chandler.

796 Of what kyn pece þat he wylle ete;
And on hys trenchour he hit layes,
On þys maner with-out displayes;
In almesdysshe he layes yche dele,
800 þat he is with serued at po mele e;
But he sende hit to ony strongere,
A pese pat is hym leue and dere,
And send hys potage also,

804 hat schalle not to be almes go.
Of keruer more, yf I shulde telle,
Anoper fytt þenne most I spelle,
Ther-fore I let hit here ouer passe,

808 To make oure talkyng summedelasse.

When pe lorde hase eten, po sewer schalle bryng po surnape on his schulder bryng,

A narew towelle, a brode be-syde,

812 And of hys hondes he lettes hit slyde;
be vssher ledes put on hed ry3t,

po aumener po oper away shalle dyzt.
When þe vssher comys to pe borde ende,
816 po narow towelle he strecches vnkende;

Be-fore po lorde and pe lady so dere,
Dowbelle he playes po towelle pere;
Whenne pay haue wasshen and grace is sayde,

820 Away he takes at a brayde;

Awoydes po borde in-to po flore,

Tase away po trestis pat ben so store.

De candelario.'

Now speke I wylle a lytulle whylo

824 Of po chandeler, with-outen gyle,

See the 'Office of Chaundlerye,' H. Ord. p. 82-3. Paris candles, torches, morters, tortayes, sizes, and smalle lightes, are mentioned there.