Part 95 (2/2)

++Of breed w{i}t{h} i tee no soppis ou make; 36 Lowde for to soupe is a?en gentilnes: W{i}t{h} mou enbrowide i cuppe {o}u not take, In ale ne i{n} wiyn w{i}t{h} hond leue no fatnes; Defoule not e naprie bi no richelesnes. 40 Be waar {a}t at e mete {o}u bigy{n}ne no striif; i tee also at e table picke w{i}t{h} no knyf.

[Sidenote: Don't make sops of bread, or drink with a dirty mouth.

Don't dirty the table linen, or pick your teeth with your knife.]

++Of honest mire eu{er}e be i daliaunce; Swere noo{n} oois; speke no ribaudie. 44 e beste morsels,--haue is i{n} reme{m}brau{n}ce,-- Holli alwey i silf to take do not applie.

P{ar}te w{i}t{h} i felawis, for at is curteisie.

Lete not i trencho{ur} be w{i}t{h} many morsels; 48 And fro blaknes kepe weel i nailis.

[Sidenote: Don't swear or talk ribaldry, or take the best bits; share with your fellows. Eat up your pieces, and keep your nails clean.]

[Sidenote: [Page 153.]]

++Of curtesie it is a?en e lawe, W{i}t{h} dishoneste, sone, for to do difence; Of oolde forfetis vpbraide not i felawe; 52 Towarde i sou{er}eyn do eu{er}e reu{er}ence.

Pleie w{i}t{h} no knif, take hede to my sentence; At mete & at sop{er} kepe ee stille & softe, And eek to & fro meeue not i fee to ofte. 56

[Sidenote: It's bad manners to bring up old complaints. Don't play with your knife, or shuffle your feet about.]

++Droppe n{o}t i brest w{i}t{h} seew & o{er} potage, Bri{n}ge no foule knyues vnto e table; Fille not i spoon lest i{n} e cariage It scheede bi side, it were not co{m}mendable. 60 Be quik & redi, meke & seruiable, Weel awaiti{n}ge to fulfille anoo{n} What {a}t i sou{er}eyn co{m}maundi to be doon.

[Sidenote: Don't spill your broth on your chest, or use dirty knives, or fill your spoon too full. Be quick to do whatever your lord orders.]

++And whe{re}-so-eu{er}e {o}u be to digne or to suppe, 64 Of gentilnes take salt w{i}t{h} i knyf, {and} be weel waar {o}u blowe n{o}t i{n} e cuppe.

Reu{er}ence i felawis; bigy{n}ne w{i}t{h} he{m} no strijf; To i power kepe pees al i lijf. 68 Intrippe no ma{n} whe{re} so at ou wende, No man in his tale, til he haue maade an eende.

[Sidenote: Take salt with your knife; don't blow in your cup, or begin quarrels. Interrupt no man in his story.]

[Sidenote: [Page 154.]]

-- W{i}t{h} i fyngris marke n{o}t i tale; be weel avysid, & nameli in tendir age, 72 To dri{n}ke mesurabli boe wiyn & ale.

Be n{o}t to copiose of langage; As tyme req{ui}ri schewe out i visage, To glad, ne to sory, b{u}t kepe {e}e euene bitwene 76 For los, or lucre, or ony case sodene.

[Sidenote: Drink wine and ale in moderation. Don't talk too much, but keep a middle course.]

++Be soft i{n} mesure, not hasti, but treteable; Ouer soft is nou?t in no maner ing To childre{n} longi not to be ve{n}geable, 80 Soone meued and soone fi?tinge; And as it is reme{m}brid bi writynge, wrae of childre{n} is ou{er}come soone, W{i}t{h} e p{ar}tis of an appil be{n} made at oon. 84

[Sidenote: Be gentle and tractable, but not too soft. Children must not be revengeful; their anger is appeased with a bit of apple.]

++In childre{n} werre is now mire & now debate, In her quarel is no violence, now pleie, now wepi{n}ge, & seelde i{n} oon state; to her pleyntis ?eue no credence; 88 A rodde reforme al her necligence; in her corage no ranco{ur} doo abide, who {a}t spari e rodde all u{er}tues setti a-side.

[Sidenote: Children's quarrels are first play, then crying; don't believe their complaints; give 'em the rod. Spare that, and you'll spoil all.]

[Sidenote: [Page 155.]]

++A! litil balade, voide of eloquence, 92 I p{ra}ie ?{o}u ?onge children {a}t is schal se & rede, ou? ?e be copious of sentence, ?it to ese clausis for to take hede Which al i{n}to v{er}tues schal ?o{ur}e ?oue lede. 96 In is writynge, ou? er be no date, Yf ou?t be mys i{n} word, sillable, or dede, I submitte me to correcciou{n} w{i}t{h}oute ony debate.

[Sidenote: Young children, pray take heed to my little ballad, which shall lead you into all virtues. My mistakes I submit to correction.]

<script>