Early English Meals and Manners Part 95

[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.]

[13: _Rel. Ant._, In childre]

LENVOYE.

-- Go, litel bille, bareyn of eloquence, 92 Pray yonge children that the shal see or Reede, Though{e} thow be compendious of sentence, Of thi clauses for to taken heede, Whiche to al vertu shal theyr yowth{e} leede. 96 Of the writyng, though{e} ther be no date, If ought be mysse,--worde, sillable, or dede,-- Put al the defaute vpon Iohn{e} Lydegate.

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

The Book of Curteisie

That is Clepid

Stans Puer ad Mensam.

[_Lambeth MS. 853, ab. 1430 A.D., page 150, back. Part written as prose._]

++Mi dere sone, first i silf able w{i}t{h} al in herte to vertuose discipline,-- A-fore i souereyn stondinge at e table Dispose ou {e}e aftir my doctryne-- 4 To al nortur i corage to encline.

First while ou spekist, be not richelees; Kepe boe fyngir and hond stille in pees;

[Sidenote: When you stand before your sovereign, speak not recklessly, and keep your hands still.]

[Sidenote: [Page 151.]]

++Be symple in cheer; caste not i looke a-side, 8 gase not about, t{ur}nynge i si?t ou{er}al.

a?en e post lete not i bak abide, nei{er} make i myrro{ur} also of e wal.

Pike not pi nose; & moost in especial 12 be weel waar, sette her-on i ou?t, to-fore i sou{er}eyn cratche ne picke {e}e nou?t.

[Sidenote: Don't stare about, lean against a post, look at the wall, pick your nose, or scratch yourself.]

-- Who-so speke to {e}e in ony man{er} place, lu{m}pischli caste not in heed a-dou{n}, 16 but w{i}t{h} a sad cheer loke him in e face.

walke demurely bi streetis in e tou{n}, And take good hede bi wisdom & resou{n} at bi no wantowne lau?inge {o}u do noo{n} offence 20 To-fore i sou{er}eyne while he is i{n} p{re}sence.

[Sidenote: When spoken to, don't lumpishly look at the ground.

Walk demurely in the streets, and don't laugh before your lord.]

++Pare clene i nailis; i{n} hondis waische also to-fore i mete, [&] wha{n}ne ou doist arise.

sitte {o}u in {a}t place {a}t {o}u art a-signed to; 24 Prece not to hie in no maner wise; And wha{n}ne ou seest afore {e}e i seruice, be not to hasti upon breed to bite lest men {er}of Do ee edwite. 28

[Sidenote: Clean your nails and wash your hands. Sit where you're told to, and don't be too hasty to begin eating.]

[Sidenote: [Page 152.]]

++Gre{n}nynge & mowy{n}ge at i table eschewe; Crie not to lowde: honestli kepe silence.

To enbrace i iowis w{i}t{h} breed, it is not dewe; w{i}t{h} ful mou speke not lest {o}u do offence; 32 Drinke not bridelid for haste ne necligence; Kepe clene i lippis from fleisch & fische; Wipe faire i spoon; leue it not i{n} i dische.

[Sidenote: Don't grin, shout, or stuff your jaws with food, or drink too quickly. Keep your lips clean, and wipe your spoon.]

++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.]