Symple condicions

Symple Condicyons of a persone þat is not taught,

y wille ye eschew, for euermore þey be nowght.

youre hed ne bak ye claw / a fleigh as þaughe ye sought,

ne youre heere ye stryke, ne pyke / to pralle for a flesche mought.

Glowtynge ne twynkelynge with youre yȝe / ne to heuy of chere,

watery / wynkynge / ne droppynge / but of sight clere.

pike not youre nose / ne þat hit be droppynge with no peerlis clere,

Snyff nor snitynge hyt to lowd / lest youre souerayne hit here.

wrye not youre nek a doyle as hit were a dawe;

put not youre handes in youre hoseñ youre codware fer to clawe,

nor pikynge, nor trifelynge / ne shrukkynge as þauȝ ye wold sawe;

your hondes frote ne rub / brydelynge with brest vppoñ your crawe;

with youre eris pike not / ner be ye slow of herynge;

areche / ne spitt to ferre / ne haue lowd laughynge;

Speke not lowd / be war of mowynge & scornynge;

be no lier with youre mouthe / ne lykorous, ne dryvelynge.

with youre mouthe ye vse nowþer to squyrt, nor spowt;

be not gapynge nor ganynge, ne with þy mouth to powt

lik not with þy tonge in a disch, a mote to haue owt.

Be not rasche ne recheles, it is not worth a clowt.

[Fol. 175.]

with youre brest / sighe, nor cowghe / nor brethe, youre souerayne before;

be yoxinge, ne bolkynge / ne gronynge, neuer þe more;

with youre feet trampelynge, ne settynge youre leggis a shore;

with youre body be not shrubbynge; Iettynge is no loore.

Good soñ, þy tethe be not pikynge, grisynge, ne gnastynge;

ne stynkynge of brethe oñ youre souerayne castynge;

with puffynge ne blowynge, nowþer fulle ne fastynge;

and alle wey be ware of þy hyndur part from gunnes blastynge.

These Cuttid galauntes with theire codware; þat is añ vngoodly gise;—

Other tacches as towchynge / y spare not to myspraue aftur myne avise,—

wheñ he shalle serue his mastir, before hym̅ oñ þe table hit lyes;

Euery souereyne of sadnes alle suche sort shalle dispise.

Many moo condicions a mañ myght fynde / þañ now ar named here,

þerfore Euery honest seruand / avoyd alle thoo, & worshippe lat hym leere.

Panter, yomañ of þe Cellere, butlere, & Ewere,

y wille þat ye obeye to þe marshalle, Sewere, & kervere.’

HOW TO CARVE, AND TO LAY TRENCHERS.

“Good syr, y yow pray þe connynge of kervynge ye wille me teche,

and þe fayre handlynge of a knyfe, y yow beseche,

and alle wey where y shalle alle maner fowles / breke, vnlace, or seche,

and with Fysche or flesche, how shalle y demene me with eche.”

“Soñ, thy knyfe must be bryght, fayre, & clene,

and þyne handes faire wasche, it wold þe welle be sene.

hold alwey thy knyfe sure, þy self not to tene,

and passe not ij. fyngurs & a thombe oñ thy knyfe so kene;

In mydde wey of thyne hande set the ende of þe haft Sure,

Vnlasynge & mynsynge .ij. fyngurs with þe thombe / þat may ye endure.

kervynge / of bred leiynge / voydynge / of cromes & trenchewre,

with ij. fyngurs and a thombe / loke ye haue þe Cure.

Sett neuer oñ fysche nor flesche / beest / nor fowle, trewly,

Moore þañ ij. fyngurs and a thombe, for þat is curtesie.

Touche neuer with youre right hande no maner mete surely,

but with your lyft hande / as y seid afore, for þat is goodlye.

[Fol. 175 b.]

Alle-wey with youre lift hand hold your loof with myght,

and hold youre knyfe Sure, as y haue geue yow sight.

enbrewe not youre table / for þañ ye do not ryght,

ne þer-vppoñ ye wipe youre knyffes, but oñ youre napkyñ plight.

Furst take a loofe of trenchurs in þy lifft hande,

þañ take þy table knyfe, as y haue seid afore hande;

with the egge of þe knyfe youre trenchere vp be ye reysande

as nyghe þe poynt as ye may, to-fore youre lord hit leyande;

right so .iiij. trenchers ooñ by a-nothur .iiij. square ye sett,

and vppoñ þo trenchurs .iiij. a trenchur sengle with-out lett;

þañ take youre loof of light payne / as y haue said ȝett,

and with the egge of þe knyfe nyghe your hand ye kett.

Furst pare þe quarters of the looff round alle a-bowt,

þañ kutt þe vpper crust / for youre souerayne, & to hym alowt.

Suffere youre parelle to stond stille to þe botom / & so nyȝe y-spend owt,

so ley hym of þe cromes a quarter of þe looff Sauncȝ dowt;

Touche neuer þe loof aftur he is so tamed,

put it, [on] a platere or þe almes disch þer-fore named.

Make clene youre bord euer, þañ shalle ye not be blamed,

þañ may þe sewere his lord serue / & neythur of yow be gramed

FUMOSITEES.