Part 65 (1/2)

-- Loke ly?er neu{er} {a}t {o}u be-come, Kepe ys worde for all{e} and somme.

Law?e not to of[t] for no solace, For no kyn myrth{e} {a}t any ma{n} mase; 216 Who lawes all{e} {a}t me{n} may se, A schrew or a fole hym semes to be.

-- Thre enmys in ys worlde {er} ar{e} {a}t coueyten alle me{n} to for-fare,-- 220 The deuel, e flesshe, e worlde also, That wyrkyn mankynde ful mykyl wo: Yf {o}u may strye es re enmys, {o}u may be secur of heuen blys. 224

[Headnote: THE RULE OF GOOD MANNERS.]

-- Also, my chylde, a-gaynes y lorde Loke {o}u stryfe w{i}t{h} no kyn w{o}rde, Ne waiour non w{i}t{h} hym {o}u lay, Ne at e dyces w{i}t{h} hym to play. 228

-- Hym that {o}u knawes of grett{er} state, Be not hys felaw in rest ne bate. [Fol. 16.]

?if {o}u be stad in strange contre, Enserche no fyr en fall{es} to the, 232 Ne take no more to do on honde en {o}u may hafe menske of all{e} i{n} londe.

-- ?if {o}u se any mon fal by strete, Lawegh{e} not er-at in drye ne wete, But helpe hym vp w{i}t{h} all{e} y my?t, As seynt Ambrose e teches ry?t; {o}u that stondys so sure on sete, War{e} lest y hede falle to y fete. 240

-- My chylde, yf {o}u stonde at o ma.s.se, At vndur stondis bothe more and la.s.se, Yf o prest rede not at y wylle, Rep{re}ue hym no?t, but holde e stylle. 244

-- To any wy?t y counsell{e} yf {o}u schewe, Be war {a}t he be not a schrewe, Lest he disclaundyr e w{i}t{h} tong Amonge alle me{n}, bothe olde {and} ?ong. 248

-- Bekenyng, fynguryng, no{n} {o}u vse, And pryue rownyng loke {o}u refuse.

Yf {o}u mete kny?t, ?omo{n}, or knaue, Haylys hym a-non, ”syre, G.o.d ?ou saue.” 252 Yf he speke fyrst opon e or{e}, Onsware hym gladly w{i}t{h}-oute{n} mor{e}.

-- Go not forth{e} as a dombe freke, Syn G.o.d hase laft the tonge to speke; 256 Lest men sey be sibbe or couthe,[9]

”?ond is a mo{n} w{i}t{h}-outen mouthe.”

-- Speke neu{er} vnhonestly of woma{n} kynde, Ne let hit neu{er} renne in y mynde; 260 e boke hym call{es} a chorle of chere, That vylany spekes be weme{n} sere: For all{e} we ben of wymme{n} born, And oure fadurs vs be-forne; 264 {er}for{e} hit is a vnhonest thyng To speke of hem in any hethyng.[10]

-- Also a wyfe be-falle of ry?t To worschyp hyr husbonde bothe day {and} ny?t, 268 To his byddyng be obediente, And hym to s{er}ue w{i}t{h}-outen offence.

-- Yf two brether be at debate, Loke no{er} {o}u for{er} in hor hate, 272 But helpe to staunche hom of malice; en {o}u art frende to bothe I-wys.

-- ?if {o}u go w{i}t{h} a-no{er} at o gate, And ?e be bothe of on astate, 276 Be curtasye and let hym haue e way, That is no vylanye, as me{n} me say; And he be come{n} of gret kynraden, Go no be-fore awgh {o}u be beden; 280 And yf {a}t he y mayst{ur} be, Go not be-fore, for curtase, No{er} in fylde, wode, no{er} launde, Ne euen hym w{i}t{h}, but he c{om}maunde. 284

-- Yf {o}u schalle on pilg{ri}mage go, Be not e thryd felaw for wele ne wo; Thre oxen in plowgh may neu{er} wel drawe, [Fol. 17.]

No{er} be craft, ry?t, ne lawe. 288

-- ?if {o}u be p{ro}fert to drynk of cup, Drynke not al of, ne no way sup; Drynk menskely and gyf agayne, {a}t is a curtasye, to speke in playne. 292

-- In bedde yf ou falle herberet to be, W{i}t{h} felawe, maystur, or her degre, {o}u schalt enquer{e} be curtasye In what p{ar}[t] of e bedde he wylle lye; 296 Be honest and lye {o}u fer hym fro, {o}u art not wyse but {o}u do so.

[Headnote: HOW TO BEHAVE.]

-- W{i}t{h} woso men, boe fer and negh, The falle to go, loke {o}u be slegh 300 To aske his nome, and qweche he be, Whidur he will{e}: kepe welle es thre.

-- W{i}t{h} freres on pilg{ri}mage yf {a}t {o}u go, {a}t ei will{e} ?yme,[11] wilne {o}u also; 304 Als on ny?t {o}u take y rest, And byde e day as tru ma{n}nes gest.

-- In no kyn house {a}t rede mon is, Ne womo{n} of o same colour y-wys, 308 Take neu{er} y Innes for no kyn nede, For ose be folke {a}t ar to drede.

-- Yf any thurgh sturnes e oppose, Onswere hym mekely {and} make hym glose:312 But glosand wordys {a}t falsed is, Forsake, and alle that is omys.

-- Also yf {o}u haue a lorde, And stondes by-for{e} hym at e borde, 316 While {a}t {o}u speke, kepe well{e} y honde, Thy fete also in pece let stonde,

-- His curtase nede he most breke,-- Stirraunt fyngurs toos whe{n} he shall{e} speke. 320 Be stabull{e} of cher{e} and sumwhat ly?t, Ne ou{er} alle wayue {o}u not thy sy?t;