fol. 17v 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 fol. 18r 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 fol.18v 105 110 115 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 fol. 19r 155 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 205 fol. 19v      210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245

Jhesus Cryste that dyed upon a tree To bye mans saule that ons was forlorn, Helpe them wele in all ther degré That doth ever ryght behynd and beforn. And gyffe me grace that I may so teche That som man therfor the better maye be, And to be to chylder a bodely leche, And ever more all vyces thei may fere and fle. To tech chylder curtasy is myn entent, And thus forth my proces I purpos to begynne. The Trinyté me sped and gode Seynt Clement, In what contrey that ever I be inne. The child that ever thinkys that he wold thé, My councell in this to hym that he take, And ever more curtayse luke that he be, And ever all evyll vices to fle and forsake. The child that is curtas, be he pore or ryche, It schall hym avayll — therof have no drede. And ever to hymselve for to be a lech, When he is in quarel or any other nede. And if he be vicious and nothing will lern, To fader and to modour be statly and stern, He may never thryffe well for nothing that he canne. Ne no man of hym rejosyng will have, In what lond of Crysdom that he commys inne, Bot oft tymes rebukyd and be callyd knave, Ne never is abull worschippe to wynn. Therfor this scryptour, my sone, if thou rede, And thinke in thiselve that thou wold be a man, Unto syche poyntes I rede thou take hede, As thou schall hereafter rede if thou canne. And labour thiselve while thou arte yong, For thou schall be more perfyte when thou arte of age, To helpe thiselve the better with hond and with tonge Than he that lernes nothing bot to pley and rage. The sothe treuly thiselve thou may see, By experience by many in the werld That are unthrifty ne no tyme will thé, How thei be trobyled and oft tymes ille-horlde. Therfor, this doctrine to thee I rede thou take To ocupy and use bothe by dey and nyght; Never no maystrys I rede that thou make1 The which be contrary agen reson and ryght. Now, chyld, take gode hed what that I wyll sey: My doctryn to thee I purpos to begyn. Herkyn well therto and go not awey; Goddys grace be with us now and ever more. Amen. My dere child, fyrst thiselve thou enabulle With all thi herte to vertuous disciplyne Afor thi soveryn standyng at the tabull, Dispos thi youthe after my doctryne: To all nurtour thi courage thou enclyne.2 Fyrst, when thou spekys luke thou be not rekles; Behold to thi sovereyn in the face with thi eyen. Kepe fete and fyngers and hondys styll in pese. Be simpyll of cher, cast not thi luke of syde; Gase not aboute, turnyng thy hede over alle. Ageyn the post luke not thi bake abyde; Make not the myrror also of the walle. Pyke not thi nose allso in especyall; Be ryght wele were and sett theron thi thought. Crache not thi fleche for ought that may befall, Hede and hond, ne other thinge that is upon thee noght. To the erth thou luke not when any man spekys to thee, Bot behold unto his face — take gode tent therto. Go pesably by the wey wereso ever it be, That no man vex thee in jorney were thou schall gon. Change not thi colour by no maner wyse, Les thou be prevyd gylty in all thi mysdede. Moke not ne scorn not nother man ne wyfe, Ne no nother person — therto thou take gode hede. Ete thou not mete with thi unwasche hondys, For dred of mych hurte that may com therbye, Ne syte not unbyden weresoever thou stond, Lesse the pepyll sey thou canne no curtasye. Take aboffe thee thi better when thou schall sytte, Els folke wyll sey that thou canne no gode. Take thou no mete — be welle were of itte — Unto grace be seyd and therto veyll thi hode. When thou etys thi mete be not to hasty — Be well were therof — be it befe or moton, Or any other metys other pye or pastye, Leste thou be callyd els both cherle or gloton. When thou has don with a dysch calle it not ageyn, For that is no curtassy — therof thou take gode hede. Whatsoever thou be servyd, loke thou be feyn, For els thou may want it when thou hast nede. Revyle thou no metys, whatsoever it be, If thou purpos afterward of it for to ete. Fro all sych uncurtasnes I red that thou fle, And ever to be curtas thi hert therin thou sette. Kepe thi spone clen from all maner of fylthe; Longe in thi dysch late it not abyde. Bewere wele therof that thou nothyng spylleth, That thei do not moke thee that standys thee besyde. Luke thi hondys be clen when thou etys thi mete; Pare clene thi nayles for ought that may be. Make them chere curtasly that by thee do sytte, And kepe wele thi countenans, for that is courtasy. Dele not thi mete awey bot if thou have leve, If thou sytte with any man that may be thi better, For els thou may therfor have a grete repreve — Thus seys Grossum Caput in doctrine of letter. When thou etys thi mete take gode hede of this: In the o syde of thi mouthe ete thou thi mete, That both thou chekys be not fulle at ons; For that is no curtassy and so thou schall fynd itte. When mete is in thi moth, laughe thou ryght nought, Ne speke thou to no man in syche tyme, For dred that thy mete oute of thi mouth be brought, And lepe inne thi dyssche with ale or with wyne. Kytte thou no mete — therof take thou gode tente — When mete is on thi trencher uneten some dele. Ne moke thou no man that at the bord is lente, For drede that mysfforton sone after may thee spylle. If that thou wyll of nourtyr, my sone, bewere: Sette thou no dysche never onne thi trencher. When thou sowpys thi potage be wele were of this: Make no grete sownd in suppyng of thi dysche, And wype wele thi mowth when thou drynk schall take. Ne no thyng hafe therinne that may do amysse, For if any mete thi mowth be withinne, When thou schuld drynke ofe coppe or of canne, Sum wyll drinke, be it thyke or thynne; Than schall thou be mokyd both of wyff and man. When thou syttys at the tabull, this is curtasy: Over thi tabull luke thou not spylle, Lest it falle one mete that stondys thee by; For that is a cherles dede whoso doth it. Pyke not thi tethe — therof be thou were — Tyll that thow have etyne all that thow wylle. Ne noy not thi felew — of that loke thou spere; Drynk, salt, ne potage, therof non thou spylle. Blow not in thi dyssch, be it mete or drynke, For that is no curtasy — therof take thou tente. Ne when thou arte at any mete nother slepe ne wynke, For mokyng of pepull where that thou arte lente. Kepe clene thi nose with napkyn and clote, That no fylthe be sene that schuld thee dyshonour. Ne swere thou to no man a forsuorne othe, For that schall be repreve and to thee non honour. Pley thou not with a dogge ne yit with a cate Befor thi better at the tabull ne besyde; For it is no curtasy — be thou sure of that — In what place of Crystendom that thou dwelle or byde. When thou etys thi mete, of this thou take hede: Touche not the salte beyng in thi salt saler, Ne with flesch ne fyssche, with other mete ne brede, For that is no curtassy; so seys Doctour Paler. Ley salt on thi trenchere with knyfe that be clene; Not to myche — be thou were — for that is not gode. That all maner of courtassy of thee may be sene, And ever to thi better luke thou aveyll thi hode. If thou wasche with a better man than thi selfe arte, Spytt not on thy hondys — therof take gode hede — And be thou not to cruell, at no tyme over-perte; The better thou schall lyke when thou hast nede. Preys not to hye where thi better is, Bot stond lawly on thi fete befor the hey tabull; And loke thou be servysabull at every mese, And jangell not to moch for makyng of a fabull. Take hede of one thing that I wyll thee sey, For it is gret curtasy and schall to thee aveyle: Out of no mans mouth, forbere it if thou may, To take any comenyng or yit any tale. Com not to counsell bot if thou be callyd, For dred of repreve were as ever thou gos. Ne never moke non old man thofe he be old, For sych uncurtasy may cause thee to have foys. When thou haste dyned be redy to ryse Somwhat or thi better, for that is curtasy, And els thi soverand he wyll thee dyspise, And think that thou arte prowd and bere thiselve to hy. Crombys aboute thi trencher luke that thou leve non, Bot clene them awey with thi knyfe that be clene. Obeysens thou make or thou ferther gone, That alle that sytys at the tabull thi curtasy may sene. If thou have a fader that be of lyfe here, Honour hym with wyrschype — my counsell I thee gyffe — And also thi modour that is thi faderes fere, And ever more after the better thou schall fare. And if thou rebukys them, other in word or dede, And be to presumptos and set thee not bye, Thou schall never thryve when that thou hast nede, Ne yit kepe the statutys of thi curtasye. Thy elbow and armys have in thi thought, To fer on thi tabull do them not ley. To mych mete at ons in thi mouth be not brought, For than thou art not curtas, thi better wyll seye. Kepe wele thi slevys fro touchyng of mete, Ne no long slevys lasyd luke that thou have. Kepe wele thi knyfe fro castyng under fete; The more lawde of peple I wote thou schall have. Ever on thi ryght hond take thou thi bettere Wher that ever thou go, be wey or by strete, And if thou se any man be redyng of a letter, Com not to nyghe hym for dred of rehete. And if thou go with any man in feld or in towne, Be wall or by hege, by pales or by pale, To go withoute hym luke thou be bowne, And take hym bytwyx thee and that same walle. And if thou mete hym luke thou be sure That thou go withoute hym and leve hym nexte the walle. And if ye schuld enter in at any dore, Putt befor thee thi better for oughte that may befalle. Stare not on a strange man to mych — be thou ware — For that is no curtassy; therto thou take gode hede. Ne speke not to mych (thus seys Doctour Paler), Bot if it be in thi Pater Noster, thi Ave, and thi Crede. And thou passe befor a man weresoever it be, At feyre or in other place, luke thou aske leve, And ever thinke on worschype and thy onesté, And kepe thee ever fro rebuke and all maner repreve. And if that it forten so by nyght or any tyme, That thou schall lye with any man that is better than thou, Spyre hym what syde of the bedd that most best wyll ples hym, And lye thou on the tother syde, for that is for thi prow. Ne go thou not to bede befor bot thi better cause thee, For that is no curtasy — thus seys Doctor Paler. Hose and schone to powle of, loke thou redy be, And other gere that to hym langys, for thou may fare the better. And when thou arte in thi bed this is curtasy: Stryght downe that thou lye both with fote and hond. When ye have talkyd what ye wyll, byd hym gode nyght in hye, For that is gret curtasy — so schall thou understond. If thou ryse before at morow take god hede of this: Byd hym gode morow or thou go, thof that he be on slepe, Ne do no thinge in that hous that schuld be amysse, Bot ever more all curtasy I rede to thee thou kepe. Another thing at thi table for soth I wylle thee telle, That is gret courtasy (thus seys Doctor Paler): On thi tabull kepe thi knyf — luke thou befelle — When thou putys mete in thi mouthe, for that is behavour. And if thou be in any place were thi better is drynkyng, So that the coppe be at his hede, odour with ale or wyne, Doctor Paler seys thee thus, and byddys thee sey nothing, For brekynge of thi curtasy in syche a curtas tyme. And if thou be in any plas were thi sovrand schall wessche, Luke thou be redy anon with water in some vessell, Forgete not the towell, nother for hard ne nessche,3 For that is grete curtasy, the soth I do thee telle. Of all maner of thingys, one I wylle thee schew: Never with any rebaudry do not fyle thi mouthe, For that is no curtasy, thou schall fynd it trew Wher thou go est or weste, other north or southe. And if thi sovereyn drinkyng be in the tyme of nyght, If thou be standing in thi hous or syting in any syde, Take a candell in thi hond anon and hold hym lyght. To he have drownkyn what he wyll, styll by hym thou byde. AMEN QUOD RATE

(see note) buy; once was lost social condition Who always do right in every way [So] that children; physician intention discourse aid me; (see note) prosper; (t-note) He should take my counsel in this abandon assist; doubt physician need proud and headstrong; (t-note) may do will delight in him But [he will be] often to earn praise text busy yourself hand live wildly truth prosper troubled; assailed; (t-note) To be busy with contrary to instruction; intend Listen God’s (t-note) Before your superior (t-note) Look your superior(s); eyes; (t-note) Stare; (see note) Against; do not rest your back a mirror of the wall especially aware; concentrate on it; (t-note) Scratch; may happen [Nor scratch]; at all; (t-note) ground heed peaceably [So] that; trouble Ridicule; neither no other food; unwashed unasked; (see note) Lest; know above; (see note); (t-note) (t-note) aware Until; remove your hood; (see note) foods or pie or pasty; (see note) (see note) pleased Refuse; food advise spoon; (see note); (t-note) sit mock; stand next to you of all [dirt] pleasant company Give (Divide); have permission reproof (rebuke) Grosseteste (see note); text one once mouth fall Cut some piece slow at the table ruin you will have good manners; (t-note) sip your soup sounds in slurping from cup or jar Someone [else] will drink it; (see note) (see note) annoy; refrain stew (soup); (t-note) take heed nod off slow cloth profane disgrace saltcellar (salt dish); (see note) (see note) be careful [So] that lower your hood; (t-note) (see note) [and] at no time; saucy Press not too closely (presumptiously) lowly; high table; (see note); (t-note) useful (obedient); meal chatter; story help prevent; (t-note) conversation shame wheresoever you go foes (t-note) before your better(s); (t-note) Show reverence before companion care not for yourself; (t-note) rules far (t-note) laced from falling; (t-note) praise reading [privately] near; reproof By; palace or fence on the outside; ready unfamiliar (see note) Unless If fair; leave (permission); (t-note) reputation; sense of decorum fortune (happen) share a bed; (see note) Offer other; to your credit; (t-note) shoes; pull belongs to him Straight directly; (t-note) see to it that you do this; (t-note)       [good] manners; (see note); (t-note) place; either; (see note) lord; wash ready promptly teach ribaldry; fill Where[ever]; either Until; (see note) (see note)