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 en1 this day it is now fall!

that worthy lorde that lay in an Oxe stalle

mayntayne your husbonde and you, with your gystys all!

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

table-cloths and

napkins ready,

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 ordeyned clenly, clene and redy accordyng to the tyme. Also basyns, ewers, Trenchours of tree or brede, sponys, also trenchers, salte, and kervyng knyves.

salts, &c.

cloths folded,

table,

Thenne ayenst tyme of mete, the boteler or the ewer shall brynge forthe clenly dressed and fayre ap- 2. Bring your plyed 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, and laste the principall tabill with dobell clothe draun, cowched, and spradde unto the degre, as longeth therto in festis.

then cover the

cupboard, the

side-table, and

the chief table.

3. Bring out the and pared loaves,

chief saltcellar,

Thenne here-uppon the boteler or panter shall bring forthe his pryncipall salte, and iiij or v loves of paryd 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 iuste unto the salte-seler beryng.

1 on.

2 For bread, see § III., p. 369.

3 Folded. Cf.a towaile applyed dowble' below. Fr. plier, to fould, plait, plie. Cotgrave.

carving knives in your right hand.

4. Put your chief

saltcellar before

Thenne the boteler or panter shall sette the seler

the chief person's 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.

before it.

5. Put the second

saltcellar at the

lower end.

If wooden

Thenne the seconde seler att the lower ende, with ij paryd loves' therby, and trenchours of brede yf they 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..

trenchers are

on.

6. Put saltcellars! on the side-tables.

7. Bring out your basins, &c., and

set all your plate

on the cupboard.

8. Let the chief

servants have

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 be sette that fallith to come to mete. Thenne the boteler shall bryng forth basyns, ewers, and cuppis, 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, to serve water with the principall basyn and ewer unto the principall soverayne, and ij principall servitours to

and after Grace, hold the best

1 What is done with these loaves does not appear. The carver in Motion 12, Section IV., pares the loaves wherewith he serves the guests.

2 Goblets or cups: ? also ornamental pieces of plate. 'A peece of wyne' occurs in Ladye Bessiye, Percy Folio, Ballads & Romances, vol. iii., and in the Percy Society's edition. John Lord Nevill of Raby, in 1383, bequeaths 48 silver salt-cellars.. 32 peces, 48 spoons, 8 chargers, 27 jugs, &c. Domestic Architecture, ii. 66. 'Diota. Horat. Any drinking peece having two eares, a two-eared drinking cup.' Nomenclator in Nares.

holde the towell under the basyn in lenght before the sovrayne; and after that the sovrayne hath wasshe, to yeve thenne water unto such as ben ordeyned to sytte at the sovrayne-is messe.

[III. Of the Lord & Guests taking their Seats, & getting their Trenchers, Spoons, Napkins, & Bread.]

basin to the chief

lord, with the

towel under;

and then let his

messmates wash.

9. The chief lord

takes his seat,

then his mess

mates theirs;

Thenne after the wesshing servid, the sovrayne will take his place to sitte, and to hym such persons as hit pleaseth hym to have. uppon which tyme of sittyng, the servitorys moste diligently a-wayte to serve them of qussyons, and after that done, to make such personys to be sette at the lower messe as the principall soverayne theirs. aggrees that be convenyent.

then the lower

mess people

begins, the bread

cover is to be

taken away.)

at 10. The Carver

takes 4 trenchers

on his knife-point,

Be it remembrid that evermore at the begynnyng (When Grace of grace the covertour of brede shalbe avoyded and take away. thenne the karver, havyng his napkyn all tymes uppon his left hand, and the kervyng knyf in his right hande, and he shall take uppon the poynte of his knyf iiij trenchours, and so cowche them iustely before the principall, iij lying iustely to-geder, ij under, and one uppon, and the fowerth before, iustěly for to lay uppon salte. and the next, lay iij trenchours; and soo salt on,) iij or ij after her degree. therto the boteler most be redy with sponys and napkyns, that ther as the trenchours be cowched, lay the spone and the napkyn therto, and

soo thorowe the borde.

and lays them

before the chief

lord,

(one to put his

and 3 or 2 before

the less people. gives each man a spoon and a

11. The Butler

napkin.

pares 2 loaves,

Thenne the kerver shall take into his hande on or ij 12. The Carver loves, and bere hem to the syde-tabill ende, and ther pare hem quarter on first, and bring hym hole to-geder,

and cowche ij of the beste before the sovrayne, and to lays 2 before his others by ij or on after ther degree.

[IV. Of the Courses of the Dinner.]

[First Course.]

Thenne the kerver or sewer most asserve1 every

1 ? Assewe.

lord, and 2 or 1 to

the rest.

13. Serve Brawn, disshe in his degre, after order and course of servise as folowith: first, mustard and brawne, swete wyne shewed therto.1

POTAGE.

Befe and moton. swan or gese. grete pics, capon or fesaunt; leche or fretours. Thenne yef potage be chaungeabill after tyme and season of the yere as fallith, as here is rehercid: by example, ffor befe and moton ye shall take

Pestelles or chynys of porke,

or els tonge of befe,

or tonge of the harte powderd;2
Befe stewed,

chekyns boylyd, and bacon.

[The Second Course.]

Thenne ayenste the secunde cours, be redy, and come in-to the place. the kerver muste avoyde and take uppe the service of the first cours,-begynnyng at the lowest mete first,--and all broke cromys, bonys, & trenchours, before the secunde cours and servise be served. thenne the seconde cours shall be served in manner and fourme as ensample thereof here-after folowyng: Potage. pigge

Conye
Crane

heronsewe

betoure Egrete Corlewe

lamme stewed
Kidde rosted

Veneson rosted

heronsewe

betoure

pigeons

Rabetts

a bake mete

Stokke-dovys stewed

[V. How to clear the Table.]

16. Fill men's

cups and remove

their trenchers.

spoons.

18. Take up the

After the seconde cours served, kerved, and spente, hit must be sene, cuppys to be fillid, trenchours to be voyded. thenne by goode avysement the tabill muste be take uppe in manner as folowith:-first, when tyme foloweth, the panter or boteler muste gader uppe the 17. Collect the sponys; after that done by leyser, the sewer or carver shall be-gynne at the loweste ende, and in order take uppe the lowest messe; after the syde-tabill be avoyded and take uppe, and thenne to procede to the Principall tabill, and ther honestly and clenly avoyde and with drawe all the servise of the high table. ther-to the kerver muste be redy, and redely have a voyder to geder in all the broke brede, trenchours, cromys lying upon the tabill; levyng none other thyng save the salteseler, hole brede (yf any be lefte), and cuppys.

[VI. How to serve Dessert.]

After this done by goode delyberacion and avysement, the kerver shall take the servise of the principall messe in order and rule, begynnynge at the lowest, and so procede in rule unto the laste,2 and theruppon the kerver to have redy a voyder, and to avoyde all maner trenchours [&] broke brede in a-nother clene disshe voyder, and cromys, which with the kervyng-knyf 3 shall be avoyded from the tabill, and thus procede unto the tabill be voyded. Thenne the kerver shall goo unto the cuppebord, and redresse and ordeyne wafers in to towayles of raynes or fyne napkyns which moste be cowched fayre and honestly uppon the tabill, and thenne serve the principall messe first, and so thorowe the

1 ? aloweth

2 ? firste. The directions for taking-away seem repeated here, unless these second ones apply only to the spoons, napkins, &c. The cups are wanted for dessert.

3 crumb-brushes were not then invented.

lowest dishes at

the side-tables, high table.

and then clear the

19. Sweep all trenchers, &c.,

the bits of bread,

into a voyder.