Early English Meals and Manners Part 86

Maxims in -ly.

[_MS. Lansdowne 762, fol. 16 b, written as prose.

Printed in _Reliquiae Antiquae, v. i. p. 233_.]

Aryse erly, serue G.o.d devowtely and the worlde besely, doo thy werk wisely, yeue thyn{e} almes secretely, goo by the waye sadly, answer the people demuerly, goo to thy mete apet.i.tely, sit therat discretely, of thy tunge be not to lib{er}ally, arise therfrom temp{er}ally, go to thy supper soberly and to thy bed merely, be in thyn Inne iocundely, please thy loue duely, and Slepe suerly.

Roger Ascham's Advice

to

Lord Warwick's Servant.

With the different counsels to babees, pages, and servants, throughout this volume, may be compared Roger Ascham's advice to his brother-in-law, Mr C. H., when he put him to service with the Earl of Warwick, A.D. 1559. Here follows part of it, from Whitaker's Hist.

of Richmondshire, p. 282.

First and formost, in all your thoughts, words, and deeds, [a]have before your eyes the feare of G.o.d..... [b] love and serve your lord willingly, faithfullye, and secretlye; love and live with your fellowes honestly, quiettlye, curteouslye, that noe man have cause either to hate yow for your stubborne frowardnes, or to malice yow for your proud ungentlenes, two faults which co{m}monly yonge men soones[t] fall into in great men's service. [c] Contemne noe poore man, mocke noe simple man, w{hi}ch proud fooles in cort like and love to doe; find fault with your selfe and with none other, the best waye to live honestlye and quiettly in the court. [d] Carrye noe tales, be noe co{m}mon teller of newes, be not inquisitive of other menn's talke, for those that are desirous to heare what they need not, co{m}monly be readye to babble what they shold not. [e] Vse not to lye, for that is vnhonest; speake not everye truth, for that is vnneedfull; yea, in tyme and place a harmlesse lye is a greate deale better then a hurtfull truth. [f] Use not dyceing nor carding; the more yow use them the lesse yow wilbe esteemed; the cunninger yow be at them the worse man yow wilbe counted.

[g] for pastime, love and learne that w{hi}ch your lord liketh and vseth most, whether itt be rydeing, shooteing, hunting, hawkeing, fishing or any such exercise. Beware of secrett corners and night sitting vp, the two nurses of mischiefe, unthriftines, losse, and sicknes. [h] Beware cheifely of ydlenes, the great pathway that leadeth directly to all evills; be diligent alwayes, be present every where in your lord's service, [i] be at hand to call others, and be not ofte sent for yourselfe; for marke this as part of your creed, that the good service of one whole yeare shall never gett soe much as the absence of one howre may lose, when your lord shall stand in need of yow to send. if yow consider alwayes that absence and negligence must needes be cause of greife and sorrowe to your selfe, of chideing and rueing to your lord, and that [k] dutye done diligently and presently shall gaine yow profitt, and purchase yow great praise and your lord's good countenance, yow shall ridd me of care, and wynne your selfe creditt, make me a gladd man, and your aged mother a ioyfull woman, and breed your freinds great comforth. [l] Soe I comitt and co{m}mend yow to G.o.d's mercifull protecc{i}on and good guidance, who long preserve Your ever loving and affectionate brother in lawe.

R. ASKAM.

To my loveing Brother in Lawe, Mr C. H., Servant to the Rt. Ho{n}. the Earle of Warwick, these.

[Sidenotes: [a] Fear G.o.d, [b] serve your lord faithfully, be courteous to your fellows. [c] Despise no poor man. [d] Carry no tales. [e] Tell no lies. [f] Don't play at dice or cards. [g] Take to your lord's favourite sport. [h] Beware of idleness. [i] Always be at hand when you're wanted. [k] Diligence will get you praise. [l] G.o.d be with you!]

Errata (noted by transcriber):

_Booke of Demeanor_:

[Sidenote: [p. 11.]] [p. 1.]

_Bp. Grossetest's Household Statutes_:

Incipiunt statuta familie bone Memorie do{m}pni [_{m} damaged or unclear: looks like n with following s.p.a.ce_]

T the secunde ys [_from editor's Corrigenda:_ _The_ T _of_ T the is used as a paragraph mark in the MS.]

_The Schoole of Vertue_:

ll. 27-40 [Sidenote: ... to our live's end."] [_apostrophe unchanged_]

l. 32 and kepe thy co{m}maundmentes; [_"co{m}maund/mentes" at line break without hyphen_]

l. 55 It dulles the the wyt [_text unchanged_]

l. 40, 48, 82, 976 [_line number missing_]

l. 305 [Sidenote: Grace before meate.]

[_This sidenote is in large type and was in the original book; the following "Grace before Meat" is in ordinary small type and was added by the editor._]

ll. 321, 322 [_The absent line is shown as 321._]

l. 1104 [_misprinted 1102, and see Transcriber's Note at beginning of selection_]

_Ascham's Advice_:

in great men's service [_' invisible_]

The Babees Book,

OR A 'LYTYL REPORTE' OF HOW YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD BEHAVE.

[_MS. Harl._ 5086, _fol._ 86-90; _ab._ 1475 A.D.]

[Transcriber's Note:

In the printed book, some line numbers were shifted to avoid collision with the pilcrow symbol at the beginning of each seven-line stanza.

For this e-text, line numbers have been regularized to multiples of 4.]

++In this tretys the which{e} I thenke to wryte Out of latyn in-to my comvne langage, He me supporte (sen I kan nat endyte), The which{e} only after his owne ymage 4 Fourmyd man-kynde! For alle of tendre age In curtesye Resseyve shulle doc.u.ment, And vertues knowe, by this lytil coment.

[Sidenote: My G.o.d, support me while I translate this treatise from Latin. It shall teach those of tender age.]

-- And Facett seyth{e} the Book of curtesye, 8 Vertues to knowe, thaym forto haue and vse, Is thing moste heelfull{e} in this worlde trevly.

Therfore in feyth{e} I wole me nat excuse From this labour ywys, nor hit Refuse; 12 For myn owne lernynge wole I say su{m}me thing That touchis vertues and curtesye havyng.

[Sidenote: To know and practise virtues is the most profitable thing in the world.]

-- But, O yonge Babees, whom{e} bloode Royall{e} With{e} grace, Feture, and hyh{e} habylite 16 Hath{e} eno{ur}myd, on yow ys that I call{e} To knowe this Book; for it were grete pyte, Syn that in yow ys sette sovereyne beaute, But yf vertue and nurture were with{e} all{e}; 20 To yow therefore I speke in specyall{e},

[Sidenote: Young Babies, adorned with grace, I call on you to know this book (for Nurture should accompany beauty),]

-- And nouht{e} to hem of elde that ben{e} experte In governau{n}ce, nurture, and honeste.

For what nedys to yeve h.e.l.le peynes smerte, 24 Ioye vnto hevene, or water vnto the see,