The Second Book

YF that þou be a ȝong enfaunt,

And thenke þo scoles for to haunt,

This lessoun schalle þy maistur þe merke,

Croscrist8a þe spede in alle þi werke;

Sytthen þy pater noster he wille þe teche,

As cristes owne postles con preche;

Aftur þy Aue maria and þi crede,

Þat shalle þe saue at dome of drede;

¶ Theñ aftur to blesse þe with þe trinité,

In nomine patris teche he wille þe;

Þen with marke, mathew, luke, and Ion,

With þe þer crucis and the hegh name;

¶ To schryue þe in general þou schalle lere

Þy Confiteor and misereatur in fere.

To seche þe kyngdam of god, my chylde,

Þerto y rede þou be not wylde.

¶ Ther-fore worschip god, bothe olde and ȝong,

To be in body and soule yliche stronge.

When þou comes to þo chirche dore,

Take þe haly water stondand on flore;

¶ Rede or synge or byd prayeris

To crist, for alle þy crysten ferys;

Be curtayse to god, and knele doun

On bothe knees with grete deuocioun.

¶ To mon þou shalle knele opon þe toñ,

Þe toþer to þy self þou halde aloñ.

When þou ministers at þe heghe autere,

With bothe hondes þou serue þo prest in fere,

Þe ton to stabulle þe toþer

Lest þou fayle, my dere broþer.

¶ Anoþer curtayse y wylle þe teche,

Thy fadur And modur, with mylde speche,

In worschip and serue with alle þy myȝt,

Þat þou dwelle þe lengur in erthely lyȝt.

¶ To anoþer man do no more amys

Then þou woldys be doñ of hym and hys;

So crist þou pleses, and getes þe loue

Of meñ and god þat syttis aboue.

¶ Be not to meke, but in mene þe holde,

For ellis a fole þou wylle be tolde.

He þat to ryȝtwysnes wylle enclyne,

As holy wryȝt says vs wele and fyne,

His sede schalle neuer go seche hor brede,

Ne suffur of mon no shames dede.

¶ To for-gyf þou shalle þe hast;

To veniaunce loke þou come on last;

Draw þe to pese with alle þy strengþe;

Fro stryf and bate draw þe on lengþe.

¶ Yf mon aske þe good for goddys sake,

And þe wont thynge wher-of to take,

Gyf hym boner wordys on fayre manere,

With glad semblaunt and pure good cher.

¶ Also of seruice þou shalle be fre

To euery mon in hys degré.

Þou schalle neuer lose for to be kynde;

That on forȝetis, anoþer hase in mynde.

¶ Yf Any man haue part with þe in gyft,

With hym þou make an euen skyft;

Let hit not henge in honde for glose,

Þou art vncurtayse yf þou hyt dose.

¶ To sayntis yf þou þy gate hase hyȝt,

Thou schalle fulfylle hit with alle þy myȝt,

Lest god þe stryk with grete veniaunce,

And pyt þe in-to sore penaunce.

¶ Leue not alle men that speke þe fayre,

Wheþer þat hit ben comyns, burges, or mayre;

In swete wordis þe nedder was closet,

Disseyuaunt euer and mysloset;

Þer-fore þou art of adams blode,

With wordis be ware, but þou be wode:

A schort worde is comynly sothe

Þat fyrst slydes fro monnes tothe.

¶ Loke lyȝer neuer þat þou be-come,

Kepe þys worde for alle and somme.

Lawȝe not to of[t] for no solace,

For no kyn myrthe þat any man mase;

Who lawes alle þat men may se,

A schrew or a fole hym semes to be.

¶ Thre enmys in þys worlde þer are

Þat coueyteñ alle men to for-fare,—

The deuel, þe flesshe, þe worlde also,

That wyrkyn mankynde ful mykyl wo:

Yf þou may strye þes þre enmys,

Þou may be secur of heueñ blys.

THE RULE OF GOOD MANNERS.

¶ Also, my chylde, a-gaynes þy lorde

Loke þou stryfe with no kyn worde,

Ne waiour non with hym þou lay,

Ne at þe dyces with hym to play.

¶ Hym that þou knawes of gretter state,

Be not hys felaw in rest ne bate.

Ȝif þou be stad in strange contré,

Enserche no fyr þen falles to the,

Ne take no more to do on honde

Þen þou may hafe menske of alle in londe.

¶ Ȝif þou se any mon fal by strete,

Laweghe not þer-at in drye ne wete,

But helpe hym vp with alle þy myȝt,

As seynt Ambrose þe teches ryȝt;

Þou that stondys so sure on sete,

Ware lest þy hede falle to þy fete.

¶ My chylde, yf þou stonde at þo masse,

At vndur stondis bothe more and lasse,

Yf þo prest rede not at þy wylle,

Repreue hym noȝt, but holde þe stylle.

¶ To any wyȝt þy counselle yf þou schewe,

Be war þat he be not a schrewe,

Lest he disclaundyr þe with tong

Amonge alle men, bothe olde and ȝong.

¶ Bekenyng, fynguryng, non þou vse,

And pryué rownyng loke þou refuse.

Yf þou mete knyȝt, ȝomon, or knaue,

Haylys hym a-non, “syre, god ȝou saue.”

Yf he speke fyrst opon þe þore,

Onsware hym gladly with-outen more.

¶ Go not forthe as a dombe freke,

Syn god hase laft the tonge to speke;

Lest meñ sey be sibbe or couthe,

“Ȝond is a mon with-outen mouthe.”

¶ Speke neuer vnhonestly of woman kynde,

Ne let hit neuer renne in þy mynde;

Þe boke hym calles a chorle of chere,

That vylany spekes be wemen sere:

For alle we ben of wymmen borñ,

And oure fadurs vs be-forne;

Þerfore hit is a vnhonest thyng

To speke of hem in any hethyng.

¶ Also a wyfe be-falle of ryȝt

To worschyp hyr husbonde bothe day and nyȝt,

To his byddyng be obediente,

And hym to serue with-outen offence.

¶ Yf two brether be at debate,

Loke noþer þou forþer in hor hate,

But helpe to staunche hom of malice;

Þen þou art frende to bothe I-wys.

¶ Ȝif þou go with a-noþer at þo gate,

And ȝe be bothe of on astate,

Be curtasye and let hym haue þe way,

That is no vylanye, as men me say;

And he be comen of gret kynraden,

Go no be-fore þawgh þou be beden;

And yf þat he þy maystur be,

Go not be-fore, for curtasé,

Noþer in fylde, wode, noþer launde,

Ne euen hym with, but he commaunde.

¶ Yf þou schalle on pilgrimage go,

Be not þe thryd felaw for wele ne wo;

Thre oxen in plowgh may neuer wel drawe,

Noþer be craft, ryȝt, ne lawe.

¶ Ȝif þou be profert to drynk of cup,

Drynke not al of, ne no way sup;

Drynk menskely and gyf agayne,

Þat is a curtasye, to speke in playne.

¶ In bedde yf þou falle herberet to be,

With felawe, maystur, or her degré,

Þou schalt enquere be curtasye

In what par[t] of þe bedde he wylle lye;

Be honest and lye þou fer hym fro,

Þou art not wyse but þou do so.

HOW TO BEHAVE.

¶ With woso men, boþe fer and negh,

The falle to go, loke þou be slegh

To aske his nome, and qweche he be,

Whidur he wille: kepe welle þes thre.

¶ With freres on pilgrimage yf þat þou go,

Þat þei wille ȝyme, wilne þou also;

Als on nyȝt þou take þy rest,

And byde þe day as tru mannes gest.

¶ In no kyn house þat rede mon is,

Ne womon of þo same colour y-wys,

Take neuer þy Innes for no kyn nede,

For þose be folke þat ar to drede.

¶ Yf any thurgh sturnes þe oppose,

Onswere hym mekely and make hym glose:

But glosand wordys þat falsed is,

Forsake, and alle that is omys.

¶ Also yf þou haue a lorde,

And stondes by-fore hym at þe borde,

While þat þou speke, kepe welle þy honde,

Thy fete also in pece let stonde,

¶ His curtasé nede he most breke,—

Stirraunt fyngurs toos when he shalle speke.

Be stabulle of chere and sumwhat lyȝt,

Ne ouer alle wayue þou not thy syȝt;

¶ Gase not on walles with þy neghe,

Fyr ne negh, logh ne heghe;

Let not þe post be-cum þy staf,

Lest þou be callet a dotet daf;

Ne delf þou neuer nose thyrle

With thombe ne fyngur, as ȝong gyrle;

¶ Rob not þy arme ne noȝt hit claw,

Ne bogh not doun þy hede to law;

Whil any man spekes with grete besenes,

Herken his wordis with-outen distresse.

¶ By strete or way yf þou schalle go,

Fro þes two þynges þou kepe þe fro,

Noþer to harme chylde ne best,

With castyng, turnyng west ne est;

Ne chaunge þou not in face coloure,

For lyghtnes of worde in halle ne boure;

Yf þy vysage chaunge for noȝt,

Men say ‘þe trespas þou hase wroȝght.’

¶ By-fore þy lorde, ne mawes þou make

Ȝif þou wylle curtasie with þe take.

With hondes vnwasshen take neuer þy mete;

Fro alle þes vices loke þou þe kepe.

¶ Loke þou sytt—and make no stryf—

Where þo est commaundys, or ellis þo wyf.

Eschewe þe heȝest place with wyn,

But þou be beden to sitt þer-in.

Of curtasie here endis þe secunde fyt,

To heuen crist mot oure saules flyt!

OF THE PORTER, AND MARSHAdv. OF THE HALL.