Bryng us in no bacon, for that is passing fate ;
But bryng us in good ale, and gyfe us i-nought of that,

And bryng us in good ale.
Bryng us in no mutton, for that is often lene,
Nor bryng us in no trypes, for thei be syldom clene ;

But bryng us in good ale.
Bryng us in no eggys, for ther ar many schelles ;
But bryng us in good ale, and gyfe us no[th]yng ellys,

And bryng us in good ale.
Bryng vs in no butter, for therin ar many herys,
Nor bryng us in no pygges flesch, for that will make us borys;

But bryng us in good ale.
Bryng us in no podynges, for therin is al Godes-good;
Nor bryng us in no venesen, for that is not for owr blood;

But bryng us in good ale.
Bryng us in no capons flesch, for that is ofte der ;
Nor bryng us in no dokes flesche, for thei slober in the mer;

But bryng us in good ale.
See also the other ale song at p. 81 of the same volume, with the burden

Doll thi ale, doll; doll thi ale, doll ;

Ale mak many a mane to have a doty poll. p. 313, 1. 435, Gromes. “the said four groomes, or two of them at the least, shall repaire and be in the King's privy chamber, at the farthest between six and seven of the clock in the morning, or sooner, as they shall have knowledge that the King's highnesse intendeth to be up early in the morning ; which groomes so comen to the said chamber, shall not onely avoyde the pallets, but also make ready the fire, dresse and straw the chamber, purgeing and makeing cleane of the same of all manner of filthynesse, in such manner and wise as the King's highnesse, at his upriseing and comeing thereunto, may finde the said chamber pure, cleane, whollsome, and meete, without any displeasant aire or thing, as the health, commodity, and pleasure of his most noble person doth require.” Household Ordinances, p. 155, cap. 56, A.D. 1526.

[Postscript, added after the Index had been printed.]

Ffor to serve a lord.

[From the Rev. Walter Sneyd's copy of Mr Darenport Bromley's MS.]

MR SNEYD has just told me that Mr Arthur Davenport's MS. How to serve a Lord, referred to in my Preface to Russell, p. cvii, is in fact the one from Mr Sneyd's copy of which his sister quoted in her edition of the Italian Relation of England' mentioned on pp. xiv, xv of my Forewords. Mr Sneyd says: 'I made my copy nearly fourty years ago, during the lifetime of the late Mr A. Davenport's grandfather, who was my uncle by marriage. I recollect that the MS. contains a miscellaneous collection of old writings on various subjects, old recipes, local and family memoranda, &c., all of the 15th century; and, bound up with them in the old vellum wrapper, is an imperfect copy of the first edition of the Book of St Alban's. On Mr Arthur Davenport's death, last September, the MS. (with the estates) came into the possession of Mr Davenport Bromley, M.P., but a long time must elapse before it can be brought to light, as the house you mention is still unfinished, and the boxes of books stowed away in confusion.' On my asking Mr Sneyd for a sight of his copy, he at once sent it to me, and it proved so interesting-especially the Feast for a Bride, at the end--that I copied it out directly, put a few notes to it, and here it is. For more notes and explanations the reader must look the words he wants them for, out in the Index at the end of Part II. The date of the Treatise seems to me quite the end of the 15th century, if not the beginning of the 16th. The introduction of the Chamber, p. 373, the confusion of the terms of a Carver, 'unlose or tire or display', p. 377–enough to make a well-bred Carver faint : even Wynkyn de Worde in 1508 and 1513 doesn't think of such a thing-the cheese shred with sugar and sage-leaves,

1 Though it goes against one's ideas of propriety to print from a copy, yet when one wants the substance of a MS., it's better to take it from a copy, when you can get it, than fret for five years till the MS. turns up. When it does so, we can print it if necessary, its owner' permitting.

p. 372, the • Trenchours of tree or brede,' 1. 16, below, &c., as well as the language, all point to a late date. The treatise is one for a less grand household than Russell, de Worde, and the author of the Boke of Curtasye prescribed rules for. But it yields to none of the books in interest: so in the words of its pretty 'scriptur' let it welcome all its readers :

“Welcombe you bretheren godely in this hall !
Joy be unto you all
that en' this day it is now fall!
that worthy lorde that lay in an Oxe stalle
mayntayne your husbonde and you, with your gystys all !”

table-cloths and

salts, &c.

[I. Of laying the Cloth and setting out the Table.]

Ffirst, in servise of all thyngys in pantery and botery, and also for the ewery. ffirst, table-clothis, 1. Have your towelles longe and shorte, covertours 2 and napkyns, be napkins ready, ordeyned clenly, clene and redy accordyng to the tyme. Also basyns, ewers, Trenchours of tree or brede, sponys,

also trenchers, salte, and kervyng knyves.

Thenne ayenst tyme of mete, the boteler or the ewer shall brynge forthe clenly dressed and fayre ap- 2. Bring your

cloths folded, plyed 3 Tabill-clothis, and the cubbord-clothe, cowched uppon his lefte shulder, laying them uppon the tabill lay them on the ende, close applied 3 unto the tyme that he have firste coverd the cubbord; and thenne cover the syde-tabillis, then cover the

cupboard, the and laste the principall tabill with dobell clothe draun, side-table

, and

the chief table. cowched, and spradde unto the degre, as longeth therto in festis. Thenne here-uppon the boteler or panter shall bring 3. Bring out the

chief saltcellar, forthe his pryncipall salte, and iiij or v loves of paryd and pared loaves, brede, havyng a towaile aboute his nekke, the tone half honge or lying uppon his lefte arme unto his hande, and the kervyng knyves holdyng in the ryght hande, and hold the

carving knives in iuste unto the salte-seler beryng.

your right hand.

table,

1

2 For bread, see § III., p. 369. 3 Folded. Cf. 'a towaile applyed dowble' below. Fr. plier, to fould, plait, plie. Cotgrave.

4. Put your chief saltcellar before

before it.

6. Put the second saltcellar at the

trenchers are

on.

6. Put saltcellars! on the side-tables.

Thenne the boteler or panter shall sette the seler the chief persons in the myddys of the tabull accordyng to the place seat, his bread by it,

where the principall soverain shalle sette, and sette his

brede iuste couched unto the salte-seler; and yf ther and his trenchers be trenchours of brede, sette them iuste before the seler,

and lay downe faire the kervyng knyves, the poynts to the seler benethe the trenchours.

Thenne the seconde seler att the lower ende, with lower end. ij paryd loves! therby, and trenchours of brede yf they If wooden be ordeyned ; and in case be that trenchours of tree used, bring them shalbe ordeyned, the panter shall bryng them with

nappekyns and sponys whenne the soverayne is sette att tabill.

Thenne after the high principall tabill sette with brede & salte, thenne salte-selers shall be sette uppon

the syde-tablys, but no brede unto the tyme such people 7. Bring out your be sette that fallith to come to mete. Thenne the basins, &c., and set all your plate boteler shall bryng forth basyns, ewers, and cuppis, on the cupboard.

Pecys,” sponys sette into a pece, redressing all his silver plate, upon the cubbord, the largest firste, the richest in the myddis, the lighteste before.

[II. Of Washing after Grace is said.]

Thenne the principall servitours moste take in ij basins, &c., ready, handys, basyns and ewers, and towell, and therwith to

awayte and attende unto the tyme that the grace be

fully saide; and thenne incontynent after grace saide, and after Grace, to serve water with the principall basyn and ewer unto hold the best

the principall soverayne, and ij principall servitours to

8. Let the chief servants have