Part 93 (1/2)
[55-55: And vs graunte in Ioy to a-byde!
Say ye alle Amen for charyde in euery syde]
EXPLICIT. lerne or be lewde q{uod} Whytyng.[56]
Expl.: [56: AMEN.
Here endythe the boke of Curtesy that ys fulle necessary vnto yonge chyldryn that muste nedys lerne the maner of curtesy.
EXPLICIT. AMEN.]
[[Cam. _for the_ Explicit &c.
_read_ Expleycyt the Boke of cortesey.]]
The Lytylle Childrenes Lytil Boke or Edyllys be.
[Text with sidenotes: see Transcriber's Note at beginning of previous text. Pa.s.sages in [brackets] are from the Egerton MS; lower-case letters in brackets are sidenote references.]
[_Harl. MS. 541, fol. 210; and Egerton MS. 1995; ab. 1480 A.D._]
Lytyll{e} children{e}, here ye may lere Moche curtesy {a}t is wrytyn{e} here; For clerk{is} that the vij arte? cunne, Seyn{a}t curtesy from hevyn come 4 Whan Gabryell{e} oure lady grette, And Eli?abeth with mary mette.
All{e} vertues arn{e}closid{e} yn curtesye, And all{e} vices yn vylonye. 8 Loke yne hond{is} be wa.s.she clene, That no fylth{e} on thy nayles be sene.
Take {o}u no mete tyll{e} grace be seyd{e}, And tyll{e} {o}u see all{e} thyng arayed{e}. 12 Loke, my son, {a}t thow not sytte Tyll{e} e ruler of e hous the bydde; And at thy mete, yn {e} begynnyng, Loke on pore men that thow thynk, 16 For the full{e} wombe w{i}t{h}out [any faylys]
Wot full{e} lytyl [what the hungery aylys.]
Ete [not thy mete to hastely, A-byde and ete esely. 20 Tylle {o}u haue thy fulle seruyse, Touche noo messe in noo wyse.
Kerue not thy brede to thynne, Ne breke hit not on twynne: 24 The mosselle that {o}u begynnysse to touche, Cast them not in thy pouche.
Put not thy fyngerys on thy dysche, Nothyr in flesche, nothyr in fysche. 28 Put not thy mete in-to the salte, In-to thy Seler that thy salte halte,]
But ley it fayr{e} on i trencher{e} The byfore, and at is yn{e} honor{e}. 32 Pyke not yn{e} Eris ne thy nost{re}ll{is}; If {o}u do, men woll{e} sey {o}u come of cherl{is}.
Andwhyll{e} i mete yn i mouth is, Drynk ow not; for-gete not this. 36 Ete i mete by small{e} mosselles; Fylle not thy mouth as done broth.e.l.l{is}.
Pyke not i teth{e} with thy knyfe; In no company begynne ow stryfe. 40 And whan {o}u hast i potage doon{e}, Out of thy dyssh ow put thi spone.
Ne spitte ow notover thetabyll{e}, Ne therupon, for that is no ing abyll{e}. 44 Ley not yn{e} Elbowe northy fyst Vpon the tabyll{e} whyl{is} {a}t thow etist.
Bulk not as a Been{e} were yn i throte, [As a ka]rle {a}t comys oute of a cote. 48 [And thy mete be o]f grete pryce, [Be ware of hyt, or {o}u arte n]ot wyse.
[Speke noo worde stylle ne sterke; And honowre and curtesy loke {o}u kepe, 52 And at the tabylle loke {o}u make goode chere; Loke {o}u rownde not in nomannys ere.
W{i}t{h} thy fyngerys {o}u towche and taste Thy mete; And loke {o}u doo noo waste. 56 Loke {o}u laughe not, nor grenne; And w{i}t{h} moche speche {o}u mayste do synne.
Mete ne drynke loke {o}u ne spylle, But sette hit downe fayre and stylle.] 60 Kepe thy cloth clene the byforn{e}, And bere the sothow haue no scorn{e}.
Byte not i mete, but kerve itclene, Be well{e} war{e} nodrop be sene. 64 Whan {o}u etyst, gape not to wyde That i mouth be sene on ych{e} asyde.
And son, bewar{e}, I rede, ofon thyng, Blow ne{er}yn thi mete nor yn idrynk. 68 And yif thi lord drynk at at tyde, Drynk {o}u not, but hym abyde; Be it at Evyn{e}, be it at noone, Drynk {o}u not tyll{e} he haue done. 72 Vpon i trencher no fyllth{e} {o}u see, It is not honest, as I telle the; Ne drynkbehynd{e} no mannes bakke, For yf {o}u do, thow art to lakke. 76 And chese com{e} forthe, be not to gredy, Ne cutte ow not therof to hastely.
Caste not i bones ynto the flore, But ley emfayre on i trenchor{e}. 80 Kepe clene i cloth byfor{e} ealle; And sit {o}u stylle, what so be-falle, Tyll{e} grace be said vnto e ende, And tyll{e} {o}u haue wa.s.shen w{i}t{h} i frend. 84 Let the more worthy anthow Wa.s.sh to-foree, & that is i prow; And spitte not yni basyn{e}, My swete son, {a}t ow wa.s.s.h.i.+st yn{e}; 88 And aryse up soft & stylle, And iangyll{e} nether with Iak ne Iylle, But take i leve of the hedelowly, And ank hym w{i}t{h} thyn{e} hert hyghly, 92 And all{e} e gentyll{is}togydr{e} yn same, And bare the sothow haue no blame; Than men wyll{e}say therafter That a gentyll{e}man was heere. 96 And he {a}t dispiseth this techyng, He is not worthy, w{i}t{h}oute lesyng, Nether atgood mannes tabull{e} tositte, Nerof no wors.h.i.+p{e} for to wytte. 100 And therfor{e}, chyldren, forcharyte, Louyth this boke though yt lytil be!
And pray for hym {a}t made it thus, That hym may helpe swete Ih{esus} 104 To lyve & dye among his frendes, And neu{er} to be combred w{i}t{h} no fendes; And geve vs grace yn Ioy to be; Amen, Amen, for charytee! 108
EXPLICIT. lerne or be lewde q{uod} Whytyng.
Here endythe the boke of Curtesy that ys fulle necessary vnto yonge chyldryn that muste nedys lerne the maner of curtesy.
[Sidenotes (by line number): [3] Clerks say that courtesy came from heaven when Gabriel greeted our Lady. [7] All virtues are included in it.
[9] See that your hands and nails are clean. [11] Don't eat till grace is said, or sit down till you're told. [15] First, think on the poor; the full belly wots not what the hungry feels. [19] Don't eat too quickly. [21] Touch nothing till you are fully helped.
[23] Don't break your bread in two, [26] or put your pieces in your pocket, your fingers in the dish, or your meat in the salt-cellar.
[33] Don't pick your ears or nose, [35] or drink with your mouth full, [38] or cram it full. [39] Don't pick your teeth with your knife. [41] Take your spoon out when you've finished soup.
[43] Don't spit over or on the table, that's not proper. [45] Don't put your elbows on the table, [47] or belch as if you had a bean in your throat. [49] Be careful of good food; and be courteous and cheerful. [54] Don't whisper in any man's ear. Take your food with your fingers, and don't waste it. [57] Don't grin, or talk too much, or spill your food. [61] Keep your cloth before you. [63] Cut your meat, don't bite it. [65] Don't open your mouth too wide when you eat, [68] or blow in your food. [69] If your lord drinks, always wait till he has done. [73] Keep your trencher clean.
[75] Drink behind no man's back. [77] Don't rush at the cheese, [79] or throw your bones on the floor. [82] Sit still till grace is said [84] and you've washed your hands, [87] and don't spit in the basin. [89] Rise quietly, don't jabber, [91] but thank your host and all the company, [95] and then men will say, 'A gentleman was here!' [97] He who despises this teaching isn't fit to sit at a good man's table. [101] Children, love this little book, [103]