Part 20 (1/2)

[Headnote: IOHN RUSSELL MEETS WITH HIS PUPIL.]

[Sidenote: One May I went to a forest, and by the Forester's leave walked in the woodland,]

++As y rose owt of my bed, in a mery sesou{n} of may, to sporte me in a forest / wher{e} sightes wer{e} fresch{e} & gay, y met w{i}t{h} e forst{er} / y prayed hym to say me not nay, at y mygh[t] walke in to his lawnde[3] where e deer{e} lay. 16

[Sidenote: where I saw three herds of deer in the suns.h.i.+ne.]

as y wandered weldsomly[4] / in-to e lawnd at was so grene, er lay iij. herdis of deer{e} / a semely syght for to sene; y behild on my right hand / e son at shon so shene; y saw wher{e} walked / a semely yong{e} man, at sklendur was & leene; 20

[Sidenote: A young man with a bow was going to stalk them, but I asked him to walk with me, and inquired whom he served.]

his bowe he toke in hand toward e deer{e} to stalke; y prayed hym his shote to leue / & softely w{i}t{h} me to walke.

is yong{e} man was glad / & louyd w{i}t{h} me to talke, he prayed at he my?t with{e} me goo / in to som herne[5] or halke[6]; 24

[Sidenote: 'No one but myself, and I wish I was out of this world.']

is yong{e} man frayned[7] / w{i}t{h} hoom {a}t he wo{n}ned an, ”So G.o.d me socour{e},” he said / ”Sir, y serue myself / & els noon o{er} man.”

”is y gou{er}naunce good?” y said, / ”son, say me ?iff ow can.”

”y wold y wer{e} owt of is world” / seid he / ”y ne rou?t how sone whan.” 28

[Sidenote: 'Good son, despair is sin; tell me what the matter is.

When the pain is greatest the cure is nearest!']

”Sey nought so, good son, bewar{e} / me thynketh{e} ow menyst amysse; for G.o.d forbedith{e} wanhope, for at a horrible synne ys, erfor{e} Son, open thyn hert / for p{er}aventur{e} y cowd the lis[8]; ”when bale is hext / an bote is next” / good sone, lerne well{e} is.” 32

[Sidenote: 'Sir, I've tried everywhere for a master; but because I know nothing, no one will take me.']

”In certeyn, sir / y haue y-sought / Ferr{e} & ner{e} many a wilsom way to gete mete[9] a mastir; & for y cowd nou?t / eu{er}y man seid me nay, y cowd no good, ne noon y shewd{e} / wher{e} eu{er} y ede day by day but wantoun & nyce, recheles & lewd{e} / as Iangelyng{e} as a Iay.” 36

[Sidenote: 'Will you learn if I'll teach you? What do you want to be?']

++”Now, son, ?iff y the teche, wiltow any thyng{e} ler{e}? [Fol. 171b.]

wiltow be a s{er}uaunde, plow?man, or a laborer{e}, Courtyour or a clark / Marchaund / or masou{n}, or an artificer{e}, Chamburlayn, or b.u.t.tiller{e} / panter{e} or karver{e}?” 40

[Sidenote: 'A Butler, Sir, Panter, Chamberlain, and Carver. Teach me the duties of these.']

++”The office of b.u.t.tiler, sir, trewly / panter{e} or chamburlayne, The connyng{e} of a kerver{e}, specially / of at y wold lerne fayne all{e} ese co{n}nyng{es} to haue / y say yow in certayn, y shuld pray for your{e} sowle nevyr to come in payne.” 44

[Headnote: THE DUTIES OF THE PANTER OR BUTLER.]

[Sidenote: 'I will, if you'll love G.o.d and be true to your master.']

++”Son, y shall{e} teche e with{e} ryght a good will{e}, So at ow loue G.o.d & drede / for at is ryght and skyll{e}, and to y mastir be trew / his good{es} at ow not spill{e}, but hym loue & drede / and hys co{m}maundement? dew / fulfylle. 48

[Sidenote: A Panter or Butler must have three knives: 1 to chop loaves, 1 to pare them, 1 to smooth the trenchers.]

The furst yer{e}, my son, ow shall{e} be panter{e} or b.u.t.tilar{e}, ow must haue iij. knyffes kene / in pantry, y sey the, eu{er}mar{e}: On knyfe e loves to choppe, another{e} them for to pare, the iij. sharpe & kene to smothe e trenchurs and squar{e}.[10] 52

[Sidenote: Give your Sovereign new bread, others one-day-old bread; for the house, three-day bread; for trenchers four-day bread;]