Part 79 (1/2)

Thy spone with pottage to full do not fyll, 444 For fylynge the cloth, If thou fortune to spyll, For rudnes it is thy pottage to sup, 448 Or speake to any, his head in the cup.

[Sidenote: Have your knife sharp.]

Thy knyfe se be sharpe to cut fayre thy meate; 452 Thy mouth not to full when thou dost eate;

[Sidenote: Don't smack your lips or gnaw your bones: avoid such beastliness.]

Not smackynge thy lyppes, As comonly do hogges, 456 Nor gnawynge the bones As it were dogges; Suche rudenes abhorre, Suche beastlynes flie, 460 At the table behaue thy selfe manerly.

[Sidenote: Keep your fingers clean, wipe your mouth before drinking.]

[Sidenote: [sign. B. v.]]

Thy fyngers se cleane that thou euer kepe, 464 Hauynge a Napkyn thereon them to wype; Thy mouth therwith Cleane do thou make, 468 The cup to drynke In hande yf thou take, Let not thy tongue At the table walke, 472

[Sidenote: Plato.]

[Sidenote: Don't jabber or stuff.]

And of no matter Neyther reason nor talke.

Temper thy tongue and belly alway, 476 For ”measure is treasure,”

the prouerbe doth say,

[Sidenote: Cicero.]

And measure in althynges Is to be vsed; 480 what is without measure Ought to be refused.

[Sidenote: Silence hurts no one, and is fitted for a child at table.]

For silence kepynge thou shalt not be shent, 484

[Sidenote: [sign. B. v.b.]]

where as thy speache May cause thee repent.

[Sidenote: Isocra.]

Bothe speache and silence are commendable, 488 But sylence is metest In a chylde at the table.

[Sidenote: Cato.]

And Cato doth saye, that ”in olde and yonge 492 The fyrste of vertue Is to kepe thy tonge.”

[Sidenote: Don't pick your teeth, or spit too much.]

Pyke not thy teethe at the table syttynge, 496 Nor vse at thy meate Ouer muche spytynge; this rudnes of youth Is to be abhorde; 500

[Sidenote: Behave properly.]

thy selfe manerly Behaue at the borde.