The botery

Thy cuppes / þy pottes, þou se be clene boþe with-in & owt;

[T]hyne ale .v. dayes old er þow serue it abowt,

for ale þat is newe is wastable with-owteñ dowt:

And looke þat alle þynge be pure & clene þat ye go abowt.

Be fayre of answere / redy to serue / and also gentelle of chere,

and þañ meñ wille sey ‘þere gothe a gentille officere.’

be ware þat ye geue no persone palled drynke, for feere

hit myȝt brynge many a man in dissese / durynge many a ȝere.

HOW TO LAY THE CLOTH AND WRAP UP BREAD. [Fol. 173 b.]

Son, hit is tyme of þe day / þe table wold be layde.

Furst wipe þe table with a clothe or þat hit be splayd,

þañ lay a clothe oñ þe table / a cowche it is called & said:

take þy felow ooñ ende þerof / & þou þat othere that brayde,

Thañ draw streight þy clothe, & ley þe bouȝt oñ þe vttur egge of þe table,

take þe vpper part / & let hyt hange evyñ able:

þanñ take þe .iij. clothe, & ley the bouȝt oñ þe Inner side plesable,

and ley estate with the vpper part, þe brede of half fote is greable.

Cover þy cuppeborde of thy ewery with the towelle of diapery;

take a towelle abowt thy nekke / for þat is curtesy,

lay þat ooñ side of þe towaile oñ þy lift arme manerly,

an oñ þe same arme ley þy soueraignes napkyñ honestly;

þañ lay oñ þat arme viij. louys bred / with iij. or iiij. trenchere lovis;

Take þat oo ende of þy towaile / in þy lift hand, as þe maner is,

and þe salt Sellere in þe same hand, looke þat ye do this;

þat oþer ende of þe towaile / in riȝt hand with spones & knyffes y-wis;

Set youre salt oñ þe right side / where sittes youre soverayne,

oñ þe lyfft Side of youre salt / sett youre trencher oon & twayne,

oñ þe lifft side of your trenchoure lay youre knyffe synguler & playñ;

and oñ þe . . . . side of youre knyffes / ooñ by oñ þe white payne;

youre spone vppoñ a napkyñ fayre / ȝet foldeñ wold he be,

besides þe bred it wold be laid, soñ, y telle the:

Cover your spone / napkyñ, trencher, & knyff, þat no mañ hem se.

at þe oþer ende of þe table / a salt with ij. trenchers sett ye.

Sir, ȝeff þow wilt wrappe þy soueraynes bred stately,

Thow must square & proporcioun þy bred clene & evenly,

and þat no loof ne bunne be more þañ oþer proporcionly,

and so shaltow make þy wrappe for þy master manerly;

þañ take a towaile of Raynes, of ij. yardes and half wold it be,

take þy towaile by the endes dowble / and faire oñ a table lay ye,

þañ take þe end of þat bought / an handfulle in hande, now here ye me:

wrap ye hard þat handfulle or more it is þe styffer, y telle þe

Þañ ley betwene þe endes so wrapped, in myddes of þat towelle,

viij loves or bonnes, botom to botom̅, forsothe it wille do welle,

and wheñ þe looffes ar betweñ, þañ wrappe hit wisely & felle;

and for youre enformacioun more playnly y wille yow telle,

[Fol. 174.]

ley it oñ þe vpper part of þe bred, y telle yow honestly;

take boþe endis of þe towelle, & draw þem straytly,

and wrythe an handfulle of þe towelle next þe bred myghtily,

and se þat thy wrappere be made strayt & evyñ styffely.

wheñ he is so y-graithed, as riȝt before y haue saide,

þeñ shalle ye opeñ hym thus / & do hit at a brayd,

opeñ þe last end of þy wrappere before þi souerayne laid,

and youre bred sett in maner & forme: þeñ it is honestly arayd.

Soñ, wheñ þy souereignes table is drest in þus array,

kouer alle oþer bordes with Saltes; trenchers & cuppes þeroñ ye lay;

þan emperialle þy Cuppeborde / with Siluer & gild fulle gay,

þy Ewry borde with basons & lauour, watur hoot & cold, eche oþer to alay.

loke pat ye haue napkyns, spones, & cuppis euer y-nowe

to your soueraynes table, youre honeste for to allowe,

also þat pottes for wyne & ale be as clene as þey mowe;

be euermore ware of flies & motes, y telle þe, for þy prowe.

HOW TO LAY THE SURNAPE AND TABLE.

The surnape ye shulle make with lowly curtesye

with a clothe vndir a dowble of riȝt feire napry;

take thy towailes endes next yow with-out vilanye,

and þe ende of þe clothe oñ þe vttur side of þe towelle bye;

Thus alle iij. endes hold ye at onis, as ye welle may;

now fold ye alle there at oonys þat a pliȝt passe not a fote brede alle way,

þañ lay hyt fayre & evyñ þere as ye cañ hit lay;

þus aftur mete, ȝiff yowre mastir wille wasche, þat he may.

at þe riȝt ende of þe table ye must it owt gyde,

þe marchalle must hit convey alonge þe table to glide;

So of alle iij clothes vppeward þe riȝt half þat tide,

and þat it be draw strayt & evyñ boþe in lengthe & side.

Then must ye draw & reyse / þe vpper parte of þe towelle,

Ley it with-out ruffelynge streiȝt to þat oþer side, y þe telle;

þañ at euery end þerof convay half a yarde or an elle,

þat þe sewere may make a state / & plese his mastir welle.

whan þe state hath wasche, þe surnap drawne playne,

þeñ must ye bere forþe þe surnape before youre souerayne,

and so must ye take it vppe withe youre armes twayne,

and to þe Ewery bere hit youre silf agayne.

a-bowt youre nekke a towelle ye bere, so to serue youre lorde,

þañ to hym make curtesie, for so it wille accorde.

vnkeuer youre brede, & by þe salt sette hit euyñ oñ þe borde;

looke þere be knyfe & spone / & napkyñ with-outy[n] any worde.

[Fol. 174 b.]

Euer whañ ye departe from youre soueraigne, looke ye bowe your knees;

to þe port-payne forthe ye passe, & þere viij. loues ye leese:

Set at eiþur end of þe table .iiij. loofes at a mese,

þañ looke þat ye haue napkyñ & spone euery persone to plese.

wayte welle to þe Sewere how many potages keuered he;

keuer ye so many personis for youre honeste.

þañ serve forthe youre table / vche persone to his degre,

and þat þer lak no bred / trenchoure, ale, & wyne / euermore ye se.

SYMPLE CONDICIONS: HOW TO BEHAVE.

be glad of chere / Curteise of kne / & soft of speche,

Fayre handes, clene nayles / honest arrayed, y the teche;

Coughe not, ner spitte, nor to lowd ye reche,

ne put youre fyngurs in the cuppe / mootes for to seche.

yet to alle þe lordes haue ye a sight / for groggynge & atwytynge

of fellows þat be at þe mete, for þeire bakbytynge;

Se þey be serued of bred, ale, & wyne, for complaynynge,

and so shalle ye haue of alle meñ / good loue & praysynge.