The office of ussher & marshalle

my lorde, my master, of lilleshulle abbot

“The office of a connynge vschere or marshalle with-owt fable

must know alle estates of the church goodly & greable,

and þe excellent estate of a kynge with his blode honorable:

hit is a notable nurture / connynge, curyouse, and commendable.

The pope hath no peere;

T
h
e
s
t
a
t
e

o
f
f

a

Emperowre is nex hym euery where;

Kynge corespondent; þus nurture shalle yow lere.

highe Cardynelle, þe dignyte dothe requere;

Kyngis soñe, prynce ye hym Calle;

Archebischoppe is to hym peregalle.

Duke of þe blode royalle,

bishoppe / Marques / & erle / coequalle.

Vycount / legate / baroune / suffrigañ / abbot with mytur feyre,

barovñ of þeschekere / iij. þe cheff Iusticeȝ / of londoñ þe meyre;

Pryoure Cathedralle, mytur abbot without / a knyght bachillere

Prioure / deane / archedekoñ / a knyght / þe body Esquyere,

T
h
e
s
t
a
t
e

o
f
f

a

Mastir of the rolles / riȝt þus rykeñ y,

Vndir Iustice may sitte hym by:

Clerke of the crowne / & theschekere Convenyently

Meyre of Calice ye may preferre plesauntly.

[Fol. 186 b.]

Provyncialle, & doctur diuyne,

Prothonotur, apertli to-gedur þey may dyne.

Þe popes legate or collectoure, to-gedur ye assigne,

Doctur of bothe lawes, beynge in science digne.

Hym þat hath byñ meyre / & a londynere,

Sargeaunt of lawe / he may with hym compere;

The mastirs of the Chauncery with comford & chere,

Þe worshipfulle prechoure of pardoun in þat place to appere.

The clerkes of connynge that hañ takeñ degre,

And alle othur ordurs of chastite chosyñ, & also of pouerte,

alle parsons & vicaries þat ar of dignyte,

parische prestes kepynge cure, vn-to þem loke ye se.

For þe baliffes of a Cite purvey ye must a space,

A yemañ of þe crowne / Sargeaunt of armes with mace,

A herrowd of Armes as gret a dygnyte has,

Specially kynge harrawd / must haue þe principalle place;

Worshipfulle merchaundes and riche artyficeris,

Gentilmeñ welle nurtured & of good maneris,

With gentilwommen / and namely lordes nurrieris,

alle these may sit at a table of good squyeris.

USHER & MARSHAL: WHAT PEOPLE RANK AND DINE TOGETHER.

Lo, soñ, y haue shewid the aftur my symple wytte

euery state aftir þeire degre, to þy knowleche y shalle commytte,

and how þey shalle be serued, y shalle shew the ȝett,

in what place aftur þeire dignyte how þey owght to sytte:

Thestate
of a

Pope, Emperowre / kynge or cardynalle,

Prynce with goldyñ rodde Royalle,

Archebischoppe / vsyñg to were þe palle,

Duke / alle þese of dygnyte owȝt not kepe þe halle.

Bisshoppes, Merques, vicount, Erle goodly,

May sytte at .ij. messeȝ yf þey be lovyngely.

þe meyre of londoñ, & a baroñ, an abbot myterly,

the iij. chef Iusticeȝ, þe spekere of þe parlement, propurly

alle these Estates ar gret and honorable,

þey may sitte in Chambur or halle at a table,

.ij. or els iij. at a messe / ȝeff þey be greable:

þus may ye in youre office to euery mañ be plesable.

Of alle oþer estates to a messe / iij. or iiij. þus may ye sure,

And of alle estatis þat ar egalle with a knyght / digne & demure,

Off abbot & prioure sauncȝ mytur, of convent þey hañ cure;

Deane / Archedecoñ, mastur of þe rolles, aftur youre plesure,

[Fol. 187.]

Alle the vndirIusticeȝ and barounes of þe kynges Eschekiere,

a provincialle / a doctoure devine / or boþe lawes, þus yow lere,

A prothonotur apertli, or þe popis collectoure, if he be there,

Also þe meyre of þe stapulle / In like purpose þer may appere.

Of alle oþur estates to a messe ye may sette foure / & foure,

as suche persones as ar peregalle to a squyere of honoure:

Sargeaundes of lawe / & hym̅ þat hath byñ meyre of londoñ aforne,

and þe mastyrs of þe chauncery, þey may not be forborne.

Alle prechers / residencers / and persones þat ar greable,

Apprentise of lawe In courtis pletable,

Marchaundes & Frankloñȝ, worshipfulle & honorable,

þey may be set semely at a squyers table.

These worthy Estates a-foreseid / high of renowne,

Vche Estate syngulerly in halle shalle sit a-downe,

that none of hem se othure / at mete tyme in feld nor in towne,

but vche of þem̅ self in Chambur or in pavilowne.

Yeff þe bischoppe of þe provynce of Caunturbury

be in þe presence of the archebischoppe of yorke reuerently,

þeire seruice shalle be kouered / vche bisshoppe syngulerly,

and in þe presence of þe metropolytane none oþer sicurly.

yeff bischopps of yorke provynce be fortune be syttynge

In þe presence of þe primate of Englond þañ beynge,

þey must be couered in alle þeyre seruynge,

and not in presence of þe bischoppe of yorke þere apperynge.

USHER AND MARSHAL: OF BLOOD ROYAL AND PROPERTY.

Now, soñ, y perceue þat for dyuerse cawses / as welle as for ignoraunce,

a merchalle is put oft tymes in gret comberaunce

For som lordes þat ar of blod royalle / & litelle of lyvelode per chaunce,

and some of gret lyvelode / & no blode royalle to avaunce;

And som knyght is weddid / to a lady of royalle blode,

and a poore lady to blod ryalle, manfulle & myghty of mode:

þe lady of blod royalle shalle kepe þe state / þat she afore in stode,

the lady of low blode & degre / kepe her lordis estate, y make hit good.

The substaunce of lyvelode is not so digne / as is blode royalle,

Þerfore blode royalle opteyneth þe souereynte in chambur & in halle,

For blode royalle somtyme tiȝt to be kynge in palle;

of þe whiche matere y meve no more: let god gouerne alle!

There as pope or cardynalle in þeire estate beynge,

þat hañ fadur & modur by theire dayes lyvynge,

þeire fadur or modir ne may in any wise be presumynge

to be egalle with theire soñ standynge ne sittynge:

Therfore fadir ne moder / þey owe not to desire

to sytte or stond by þeyre son / his state wille hit not require,

but by þem self / a chambur assigned for them sure,

[Fol. 187 b.]

Vn-to whom vche office ought gladly to do plesure.

To the birthe of vche estate a mershalle must se,

and þeñ next of his lyne / for þeyre dignyte;

þen folowynge, to officers afftere þeire degre,

As chauncelere, Steward / Chamburleyñ / tresorere if he be:

More ouer take hede he must / to aliene / commers straungeres,

and to straungers of þis land, resi[d]ent dwelleres,

and exalte þem to honoure / if þe be of honest maneres;

þeñ alle oþer aftur þeire degre / like as cace requeres.

In a manerable mershalle þe connynge is moost commendable

to haue a fore sight to straungers, to sett þem at þe table;

For if þey haue gentille chere / & gydynge manerable,

þe mershalle doth his souereyñ honoure / & he þe more lawdable.

¶ Ȝeff þow be a mershalle to any lord of þis land,

yff þe kynge send to þy souereyñ eny his seruand by sand,

Yeff
he
be a knyght
Squyere

yomañ of þe crowñ

grome
page
Childe receve
hym
as a barouñ honorand

knyght with hand

Squyere

yemañ in manere

grome goodly in fere

grome gentille lernere.

¶ hit rebuketh not a knyght / þe knyges grome to sytte at his table,

no more hit dothe a mershalle of maners plesable;

and so from̅ þe hiest degre / to be lowest honorable,

if þe mershalle haue a sight þerto, he is commendable.

THE DIFFERENCES OF MEN EQUAL IN RANK.

¶ Wisdom wolle a mershalle manerabely þat he vndirstand

alle þe worshipfulle officers of the comunialte of þis land,

of Shires / Citees / borowes; like as þey ar ruland,

þey must be sett aftur þeire astate dewe in degre as þey stand.

¶ hit belongethe to a mershalle to haue a fore sight

of alle estatis of þis land in euery place pight,

[Fol. 188.]

For þestate of a knyght of blode, lyvelode, & myght,

is not peregalle to a symple & a poouere knyght.

¶ Also þe meyre of londoñ, notable of dignyte,

and of queneborow þe meire, no þynge like in degre,

at one messe þey owght in no wise to sitt ne be;

hit no þynge besemethe / þerfore to suche semble ye se /

¶ Also þe abbote of Westmynstere, þe hiest of þis lande /

[Fol. 188 a.]

The abbot of tynterne þe poorest, y vndirstande,

þey ar boþe abbotes of name, & not lyke of fame to fande;

ȝet Tynterne with Westmynster shalle nowþer sitte ne stande.

¶ Also þe Pryoure of Caunturbury, a cheff churche of dignyte,

And þe prioure of Dudley, no þynge so digne as he:—

ȝet may not þe prioure of dudley, symple of degre,

Sitte with þe prioure of Caunturbury: þer is why, a dyuersite.

¶ And remembre euermore / añ rule þer is generalle:

A prioure þat is a prelate of any churche Cathedralle,

above abbot or prioure with-in the diocise sitte he shalle,

In churche / in chapelle / in chambur / & in halle.

¶ Right so reuerend docturs, degre of xij. yere, þem ye must assigne

to sitte aboue hym / þat commensed hath but .ix.

and þaughe þe yonger may larger spend gold red & fyne,

ȝet shalle þe eldur sitte aboue / wheþur he drynke or dyne.

¶ like wise the aldremen, ȝef þey be eny where,

þe yongere shalle sitte or stande benethe þe elder riȝt þere;

and of euery crafft þe mastir aftur rule & manere,

and þeñ þe eldest of þem, þat wardeñ was þe fore yere.

THE DUTIES OF THE USHER AND MARSHAL.

¶ Soche poyntes, with many oþer, belongethe to a mershall;

þerfore whensoeuer youre sovereyñ a feest make shall,

demeene what estates shalle sitte in the hall,

þañ resoñ with youre self lest youre lord yow calle;

¶ Thus may ye devise youre marshallynge, like as y yow lere,

þe honoure and worshippe of youre souereyñ euery where;

And ȝeff ye haue eny dowt / euer looke þat ye enquere,

Resorte euer to youre souereyne / or to þe cheff officere;

¶ Thus shalle ye to any state / do wronge ne preiudice,

to sette euery persone accordynge with-owteñ mys,

as aftur þe birthe / livelode / dignite / a-fore y taught yow this,

alle degrees of highe officere, & worthy as he is.

¶ Now good soñ, y haue shewed the / & brought þe in vre,

to know þe Curtesie of court / & these þow may take in cure,

In pantry / botery / or cellere / & in kervynge a-fore a sovereyne demewre,

A sewer / or a mershalle: in þes science / y suppose ye byñ sewre,

¶ Which in my dayes y lernyd withe a prynce fulle royalle,

with whom̅ vschere in chambur was y, & mershalle also in halle,

vnto whom̅ alle þese officeres foreseid / þey euer entende shalle,

Evir to fulfille my commaundement wheñ þat y to þem calle:

THE USHER AND MARSHAL IS THE CHIEF OFFICER.

For we may allow & dissalow / oure office is þe cheeff

In cellere & spicery / & the Cooke, be he loothe or leeff.

[Fol. 188 b.]

¶ Thus þe diligences of dyuerse officeȝ y haue shewed to þe allone,

the which science may be shewed & dooñ by a syngeler persone;

but þe dignyte of a prince requirethe vche office must haue ooñ

to be rewlere in his rome / a seruand hym̅ waytynge oñ.

¶ Moore-ouer hit requirethe euerich of þem in office to haue perfite science,

For dowt and drede doynge his souereyñ displicence,

hym to attende, and his gestis to plese in place where þey ar presence,

that his souereyñ þroughe his seruice may make grete congaudence.

¶ For a prynce to serue, ne dowt he not / and god be his spede!

Furþer þañ his office / & þer-to let hym̅ take good hede,

and his warde wayte wisely // & euermore þer-in haue drede;

Þus doynge his dewte dewly, to dowte he shalle not nede.

¶ Tastynge and credence longethe to blode & birth royalle,

As pope / emperoure / Emperatrice, and Cardynalle,

kynge / queene / prynce / Archebischoppe in palle,

Duke / Erle and no mo / þat y to remembraunce / calle.

¶ Credence is vsed, & tastynge, for drede of poysenynge,

To alle officers y-sworne / and grete othe by chargynge;

þerfore vche mañ in office kepe his rome sewre, closynge

Cloos howse / chest / & gardevyañ, for drede of congettynge.

¶ Steward and Chamburlayñ of a prince of royalte,

þey haue / knowleche of homages, seruice, and fewte;

so þey haue ouersight of euery office / aftur þeire degre,

by wrytynge þe knowleche / & þe Credence to ouerse;

¶ Therfore in makynge of his credence, it is to drede, y sey,

To mershalle / sewere and kervere þey must allowte allwey,

to teche hym̅ of his office / þe credence hym to prey:

þus shalle he not stond in makynge of his credence in no fray.

¶ Moore of þis connynge y Cast not me to contreve:

my tyme is not to tary, hit drawest fast to eve.

þis tretyse þat y haue entitled, if it ye entende to preve,

y assayed me self in youthe with-outeñ any greve.

while y was yonge y-noughe & lusty in dede,

y enioyed þese maters foreseid / & to lerne y toke good hede;

but croked age hathe compelled me / & leue court y must nede.

þerfore, sone, assay thy self / & god shalle be þy spede.”

“Now feire falle yow, fadur / & blessid mote ye be,

For þis comenynge / & þe connynge / þat y[e] haue here shewed me!

now dar y do seruice diligent / to dyuers of dignyte,

where for scantnes of connynge y durst no mañ y-se.

[Fol. 189.]

So perfitely sethe y hit perceue / my parte y wolle preue and assay; /

boþe by practike and exercise / yet som good lerne y may:

and for youre gentille lernynge / y am bound euer to pray

that oure lorde rewarde you in blis that lasteth aye.”

“Now good soñ, thy self with other þat shalle þe succede,

whiche þus boke of nurture shalle note / lerne, & ouer rede,

pray for the sowle of Iohñ Russelle, þat god do hym mede,

Som tyme seruaunde with duke vmfrey, duc of Glowcetur in dede.

For þat prynce pereles prayethe / & for suche other mo,

þe sowle of my wife / my fadur and modir also,

vn-to Mary modyr and mayd / she fende us from owre foe,

and brynge vs alle to blis wheñ we shalle hens goo.

AMEN.”

IOHN RUSSELLS REQUEST TO THE READER.

Go forthe lytelle boke, and lowly þow me commende

vnto alle yonge gentilmeñ / þat lust to lerne or entende,

and specially to þem þat han exsperience, praynge þe[m] to amende

and correcte þat is amysse, þere as y fawte or offende.

¶ And if so þat any be founde / as þrouȝ myñ necligence,

Cast þe cawse oñ my copy / rude / & bare of eloquence,

whiche to drawe out [I] haue do my besy diligence,

redily to reforme hit / by resoñ and bettur sentence.

¶ As for ryme or resoñ, þe forewryter was not to blame,

For as he founde hit aforne hym̅, so wrote he þe same,

and þaughe he or y in oure matere digres or degrade,

blame neithur of vs / For we neuyre hit made;

¶ Symple as y had insight / somwhat þe ryme y correcte;

blame y cowde no mañ / y haue no persone suspecte.

Now, good god, graunt vs grace / oure sowles neuer to Infecte!

þañ may we regne in þi regioun / eternally with thyne electe.

[Some word or words in large black letter have been cut off at the bottom of the page.]