The Third Book

¶ De officiarijs in curijs dominorum.

Now speke we wylle of officiers

Of court, and als of her mestiers.

Foure men þer beñ þat ȝerdis schalle bere,

Porter, marshalle, stuarde, vsshere;

The porter schalle haue þe lengest wande,

The marshalle a schorter schalle haue in hande;

The vssher of chambur smallest schalle haue,

The stuarde in honde schalle haue a stafe,

A fyngur gret, two wharters long,

To reule þe meñ of court ymong.

¶ De Ianitore.

¶ The porter falle to kepe þo ȝate,

Þe stokkes with hym erly and late;

Ȝif any mañ hase in court mys-gayne,

To porter warde he schalle be tane,

Þer to a-byde þe lordes wylle,

What he wille deme by ryȝtwys skylle.

For wesselle clothes, þat noȝt be solde,

Þe po[r]ter hase þat warde in holde.

Of strangers also þat comen to court,

Þo porter schalle warne ser at a worde.

Lyueray he hase of mete and drynke,

And settis with hym who so hym thynke.

When so euer þo lorde remewe schalle

To castelle til oþer as hit may falle,

For cariage þe porter hors schalle hyre,

Foure pens a pece with-in þo schyre;

Be statut he schalle take þat on þe day.

Þat is þe kyngis crye in faye.

¶ De Marescallo aule.

¶ Now of marschalle of halle wylle I spelle,

And what falle to hys offyce now wylle y telle;

In absence of stuarde he shalle arest

Who so euer is rebelle in court or fest;

Ȝomon-vsshere, and grome also,

Vndur hym ar þes two:

Þo grome for fuelle þat schalle brenne

In halle, chambur, to kechyn, as I þe kenne,

He shalle delyuer hit ilke a dele,

In halle make fyre at yche a mele

Borde, trestuls, and formes also,

Þe cupborde in his warde schalle go,

Þe dosurs cortines to henge in halle.

Þes offices nede do he schalle;

Bryng in fyre on alhalawgh day,

To condulmas euen, I dar welle say.

¶ Per quantum tempus armigeri habebunt liberatam et ignis ardebit in aula.

So longe squiers lyuerés shalle hafe,

Of grome of halle, or ellis his knafe;

But fyre shalle brenne in halle at mete,

To Cena domini þat men base ete;

Þer browȝt schalle be a holyn kene,

Þat sett schalle be in erber grene,

And þat schalle be to alhalawgh day,

And of be skyfted, as y þe say.

In halle marshalle alle men schalle sett

After here degré, with-outen lett.

OF THE BUTLER AND PANTER.

¶ De pincernario, panetario, et cocis sibi seruientibus.

¶ The botelar, pantrer, and cokes also,

To hym ar seruauntis with-outen mo;

Þer-fore on his ȝerde skore shalle he

Alle messys in halle þat seruet be,

Commaunde to sett bothe brede and ale

To alle men þat seruet ben in sale;

¶ To gentilmen with wyne I-bake,

Ellis fayles þo seruice, y vnder-take;

Iche messe at vjd breue shalle he

At the countyng house with oþer mené;

Yf þo koke wolde say þat were more,

Þat is þo cause þat he hase hit in skore.

Þe panter also yf he wolde stryfe,

For rewarde þat sett schalle be be-lyue.

Wheñ brede faylys at borde aboute,

The marshalle gares sett with-outen doute

More brede, þat calde is a rewarde,

So shalle hit be preuet be-fore stuarde.

¶ De officio pincernarij.

¶ Botler shalle sett for yche a messe

A pot, a lofe, with-outen distresse;

Botler, pantrer, felawes ar ay,

Reken hom to-gedur fulle wel y may.

The marshalle shalle herber alle men in fere,

That ben of court of any mestere;

Saue þe lordys chambur, þo wadrop to,

Þo vssher of chambur schalle tent þo two.

¶ De hostiario et suis seruientibus.

¶ Speke I wylle A lytulle qwyle

Of vssher of chambur, with-outen gyle.

Þer is gentylmen, ȝomon-vssher also,

Two gromes at þo lest, A page þer-to.

OF THE GROOMS AND USHER OF THE CHAMBER.

¶ De Officio garcionum.

¶ Gromes palettis shyn fyle and make litere,

ix fote on lengthe with-out diswere;

vij fote y-wys hit shalle be brode,

Wele watered, I-wrythen, be craft y-trode,

Wyspes drawen out at fete and syde,

Wele wrethyn and turnyd a-ȝayne þat tyde;

On legh vnsonken hit shalle be made,

To þo gurdylstode hegh on lengthe and brade.

For lordys two beddys schalle be made,

Bothe vtter and inner, so god me glade,

Þat henget shalle be with hole sylour,

With crochettis and loupys sett on lyour;

¶ Þo valance on fylour shalle henge with wyn,

iij curteyns streȝt drawen with-inne,

Þat reche schalle euen to grounde a-boute,

Noþer more, noþer lesse, with-outen doute;

He strykes hom vp with forket wande,

And lappes vp fast a-boute þe lyft hande;

Þo knop vp turnes, and closes on ryȝt,

¶ As bolde by nek þat henges fulle lyȝt.

Þo counturpynt he lays on beddys fete,

Qwysshenes on sydes shyn lye fulle mete.

Tapetis of spayne on flore by syde,

Þat sprad shyn be for pompe and pryde;

Þo chambur sydes ryȝt to þo dore,

He henges with tapetis þat ben fulle store;

And fuel to chymné hym falle to gete,

And screnes in clof to y-saue þo hete

Fro þo lorde at mete when he is sett;

Borde, trestuls, and fourmes, with-outen let,

¶ Alle thes þynges kepe schalle he,

And water in chafer for laydyes fre;

iij perchers of wax þen shalle he fet,

A-boue þo chymné þat be sett

In syce; ichoñ from oþer shalle be

Þe lenghthe of oþer þat men may se,28a

To brenne, to voide, þat dronkyn is,

Oþer ellis I wote he dose Amys.

Þo vssher alle-way shalle sitt at dore

At mete, and walke schalle on þe flore,

To se þat alle be seruet on ryȝt,

Þat is his office be day and nyȝt,

And byd set borde when tyme schalle be,

And take hom vp when tyme ses he.

¶ The wardrop he herbers and eke of chambur

Ladyes with bedys of coralle and lambur,

Þo vsshere schalle bydde þo wardropere

Make redy for alle nyȝt be-fore þe fere;

Þen bryngis he forthe nyȝt goun also,

And spredys a tapet and qwysshens two,

He layes hom þen opon a fourme,

And foteshete þer-on and hit returne.

¶ Þo lorde schalle skyft hys gowñ at nyȝt,

Syttand on foteshete tyl he be dyȝt.

Þen vssher gose to þo botré,

“Haue in for alle nyȝt, syr,” says he;

Fyrst to þe chaundeler he schalle go,

To take a tortes lyȝt hym fro;

¶ Bothe wyne and ale he tase indede,

Þo botler says, with-outen drede,

No mete for mon schalle sayed be,

Bot for kynge or prynce or duke so fre;

For heiers of paraunce also y-wys,

Mete shalle be sayed, now thenkys on this.

Þen to pantré he hyȝes be-lyue,

¶ “Syrs, haue in with-outen stryffe;”

Manchet and chet bred he shalle take,

Þo pantere assayes þat hit be bake;

A morter of wax ȝet wille he bryng,

Fro chambur, syr, with-out lesyng;

Þat alle nyȝt brennes in bassyn clere,

To saue þo chambur on nyȝt for fyre.

¶ Þen ȝomon of chambur shynne voyde with ryme,

The torches han holden wele þat tyme;

Tho chambur dore stekes þo vssher thenne,

With preket and tortes þat conne brenne;

Fro cupborde he brynges bothe brede and wyne,

And fyrst assayes hit wele a[nd] fyne.

But fyrst þe lorde shalle vasshe I-wys,

Fro þo fyr hous when he comen is;

Þen kneles þe vssher and gyfes hym drynke,

Brynges hym in bed where he shalle wynke;

In strong styd on palet he lay,

At home tase lefe and gose his way;

Ȝomon vssher be-fore þe dore,

In vttur chambur lies on þe flore.

OF THE STEWARD.

¶ De seneschallo.

¶ Now speke I wylle of þo stuarde als,

Few ar trew, but fele ar fals.

Þo clerke of kechyn, countrollour,

Stuarde, coke, and surueyour,

Assenten in counselle, with-outen skorne,

How þo lorde schalle fare at mete þo morne.

Yf any deyntethe in countré be,

Þo stuarde schewes hit to þo lorde so fre,

And gares by hyt for any cost,

Hit were grete syn and hit were lost.

Byfore þe cours þo stuarde comes þen,

Þe seruer hit next of alle kyn men

Mays way and stondes by syde,

Tyl alle be serued at þat tyde.

At countyng stuarde schalle ben,

Tylle alle be breuet of wax so grene,

Wrytten in-to bokes, with-out let,

Þat be-fore in tabuls hase ben sett,

Tyl countes also þer-on ben cast,

And somet vp holy at þo last.

¶ De contrarotulatore.

¶ The Countrollour shalle wryte to hym,

Taunt resceu, no more I myn;

And taunt dispendu þat same day,

Vncountabulle he is, as y ȝou say.

¶ De superuisore.

¶ Surueour and stuarde also,

Thes thre folke and no mo,

For noȝt resayuen bot euer sene

Þat noþyng fayle and alle be whene;

Þat þo clerke of kechyn schulde not mys,

Þer-fore þo countrollour, as hafe I blys,

Wrytes vp þo somme as euery day,

And helpes to count, as I ȝou say.

¶ De Clerico coquine.

¶ The clerke of þe cochyñ shalle alle þyng breue,

Of men of court, bothe lothe and leue,

Of achatis and dispenses þen wrytes he,

And wages for gromes and ȝemen fre;

At dressour also he shalle stonde,

And fett forthe mete dresset with honde;

Þe spicery and store with hym shalle dwelle,

And mony thynges als, as I noȝt telle,

For clethyng of officers alle in fere,

Saue þe lorde hym self and ladys dere.

OF THE CHANCELLOR AND TREASURER.

¶ De cancellario.

¶ The chaunceler answeres for hor clothyng,

For ȝomen, faukeners, and hor horsyng,

For his wardrop and wages also;

And asseles patentis mony and mo;

Yf þo lorde gyf oȝt to terme of lyf,

The chaunceler hit seles with-outen stryf;

Tan come nos plerra men seyne, þat is quando nobis placet,

Þat is, whille vs lykes hym noȝt omys;

Ouer-se hys londes þat alle be ryȝt:

On of þo grete he is of myȝt.

¶ De thesaurizario.

¶ Now speke y wylle of tresurere,

Husbonde and houswyf he is in fere;

Of þe resayuer he shalle resayue,

Alle þat is gedurt of baylé and grayue,

Of þe lordes courtes and forfetis als,

Wheþer þay ben ryȝt or þay ben fals.

To þo clerke of cochen he payes moné

For vetayle to bye opon þo countré:

The clerke to kater and pulter is,

To baker and butler bothe y-wys

Gyffys seluer to bye in alle thyng

Þat longes to here office, with-outen lesyng.

Þe tresurer schalle gyfe alkyn wage,

To squyer, ȝomon, grome, or page.

Þo resayuer and þo tresurer,

Þo clerke of cochyn and chaunceler,

Grayuis, and baylys, and parker,

Schone come to acountes euery ȝere

By-fore þo auditour of þo lorde onone,

Þat schulde be trew as any stone;

Yf he dose hom no ryȝt lele,

To A baron of chekker þay mun hit pele.

¶ De receptore firmarum.

¶ Of þe resayuer speke wylle I,

Þat fermys resayuys wytturly

Of grayuys, and hom aquetons makes,

Sex pons þer-fore to feys he takes,

And pays feys to parkers als I-wys,

Þer-of at acountes he loued is,

And ouer-seys castels, maners a-boute,

Þat noȝt falle with-in ne with-oute.

Now let we þes officers be,

And telle we wylle of smaller mené.

¶ De Auenario.

¶ Þe Aueyner schalle ordeyn prouande good won,

For þo lordys horsis euerychon;

Þay schyn haue two cast of hay,

A pek of prouande on a day;

Euery horse schalle so muche haue,

At racke and manger þat standes with staue.

A maystur of horsys a squyer þer is,

Aueyner and ferour vndur hym I-wys;

Þose ȝomen þat olde sadels schyn haue,

Þat schyn be last for knyȝt and knaue,

For yche a hors þat ferroure schalle scho,

An halpeny on day he takes hym to;

Vndur ben gromes and pages mony one,

Þat ben at wage euerychone;

Som at two pons on a day,

and som at iij ob., I ȝou say;

Mony of hem fote-men þer ben,

Þat rennen by þe brydels of ladys shene.

OF THE BAKER AND HUNTSMAN.

¶ De pistore.

¶ Of þo baker now speke y wylle,

And wat longes his office vntylle;

Of a lunden buschelle he shalle bake

xx louys, I vndur-take;

Manchet and chet to make brom bred hard,

For chaundeler and grehoundes and huntes reward.

¶ De venatore et suis canibus.

¶ A halpeny þo hunte takes on þe day

For euery hounde, þo sothe to say:

Þo vewter, two cast of brede he tase,

Two lesshe of grehoundes yf þat he hase;

To yche a bone, þat is to telle,

If I to ȝou þe sothe shalle spelle;

By-syde hys vantage þat may be-falle,

Of skynnes and oþer thynges with-alle,

Þat hunteres con telle better þan I,

Þer-fore I leue hit wytt[ur]ly.

¶ De aquario.

¶ And speke I wylle of oþer mystere

Þat falles to court, as ȝe mun here;

An euwere in halle þere nedys to be,

And chandelew schalle haue and alle napere;

He schalle gef water to gentilmen,

And als in alle ȝomen.

¶ Qui debent manus lauare et in quorum domibus.

¶ In kynges court and dukes also,

Þer ȝomen schynne wasshe and no mo;—

In duke Ionys house a ȝoman þer was,

For his rewarde prayde suche a grace;

Þe duke gete graunt þer-of in londe,

Of þe kyng his fader, I vndudurstonde.—(so)

Wosoeuer gefes water in lordys chaunber,

In presens of lorde or leuedé dere,

He schalle knele downe opoñ his kne,

Ellys he forȝetes his curtasé;

Þis euwer schalle hele his lordes borde,

With dowbulle napere at on bare worde:

The seluage to þo lordes syde with-inne,

And douñ schalle heng þat oþer may wynne;

Þo ouer nape schalle dowbulle be layde,

To þo vttur syde þe seluage brade;

Þo ouer seluage he schalle replye,

As towelle hit were fayrest in hye;

Browers he schalle cast þer-opon,

Þat þe lorde schulle clense his fyngers [on],

Þe leuedy and whoseuer syttes with-inne,

Alle browers schynne haue bothe more and myñ.

OF THE PANTER, THE LORD’S KNIVES, ETC.

¶ De panetario.

¶ Þenne comes þe pantere with loues thre,

Þat square are coruyn of trenchour fre,

To sett with-inne and oon with-oute,

And saller y-coueryd and sett in route;

With þo ouemast lofe hit shalle be sett,

With-oute forthe square, with-outen lett;

Two keruyng knyfes with-oute one,

Þe thrydde to þo lorde, and als a spone.

¶ De Cultellis domini.

¶ Of þo two þo haftes schynne outwarde be,

Of þe thrydd þe hafte inwarde lays he,

Þe spony stele þer by schalle be layde;

Moo loues of trenchirres at a brayde

He settes, and seruys euyr in fere

To duches his wyne þat is so dere.

Two loues of trenchors and salt þo,

He settes be-fore his son also;

A lofe of trenchours and salt on last,

At bordes ende he settes in hast.

Þen brede he brynges, in towelle wrythyñ,

Thre lofys of þo wyte schalle be geuyñ;

A chet lofe to þo elmys dyshe,

Weþer he seruyd be with flesshe or fysche;

At aþer ende he castes a cope,

Layde dowñ on borde, þe endys plyed vp.

That he assayes knelande on kne,

Þo keruer hym parys a schyuer so fre;

And touches þo louys yn quere a-boute,

Þo pantere hit etys with-oute dowte;

Þo euwere thurgh towelle syles clene

His water into þo bassynges shene;

Þo ouer bassyn þer-on schalle close,

A towelle þer-on, as I suppose,

Þat folden schalle be with fulle grete lore,

Two quarters on lenkethe and sumdele more;

A qwyte cuppe of tre þer-by shalle be,

Þer-with þo water assay schalle he;

Quelmes hit agayn by-fore alle men;

Þo keruer þe bassynges tase vp þenne;

Annaunciande squier, or ellis a knyȝt,

Þo towelle dowñ tase by fulle good ryȝt;

Þo cuppe he tase in honde also,

Þo keruer powres wat[er] þe cuppe into;

The knyȝt to þo keruer haldes anon,

He says hit ar he more schalle doñ;

Þo cuppe þen voyde is in þo flette,

Þe euwer hit takes with-outen lette.

The towelle two knyȝhtis schyn halde in fere,

Be-fore þe lordes sleues, þat ben so dere;

The ouer bassyn þay halde neuer þe queder,

Quylle þo keruer powre water in-to þe nedur.

For a pype þer is insyde so clene,

Þat water deuoydes, of seluer schene;

Þen settes he þe nethyr, I vnd[u]rstonde,

In þe ouer, and voydes with bothe is honde;

And brynges to þe euwer þer he come fro;

To þo lordys bordes aȝayn con go;

And layes iiij trenchours þo lorde be-fore,

Þe fyft aboue by good lore;

By hym self thre schalle he dresse,

To cut opon þe lordes messe;

Smale towelle a-boute his necke shalle bene,

To clens his knyfys þat ben so kene.

OF THE ALMONER AND DISH-SERVER.

¶ De Elemosinario.

¶ The aumenere by þis hathe sayde grace,

And þo almes dysshe hase sett in place;

Þer-in þe keruer a lofe schalle sette,

To serue god fyrst with-outen lette;

Þese oþer lofes he parys a-boute,

Lays hit myd dysshe with-outen doute.

Þe smalle lofe he cuttis euen in twynne,

Þo ouer dole in two lays to hym.

The aumenere a rod schalle haue in honde,

As office for almes, y vndurstonde.

Alle þe broken met he kepys y wate,

To dele to pore men at þe ȝate.

And drynke þat leues serued in halle;

Of ryche and pore bothe grete and smalle.

He is sworne to ouer-se þe seruis wele,

And dele hit to þe pore euery dele;

Seluer he deles rydand by way;

And his almys dysshe, as I ȝou say,

To þe porest man þat he can fynde,

Oþer ellys I wot he is vnkynde.

¶ De ferculario.

¶ This wyle þo squyer to kechyn shalle go,

And brynges a bof for assay þo;

Þo Coke assayes þe mete vngryȝt,

Þo sewer he takes and kouers on ryȝt;

Wo so euer he takes þat mete to bere,

Schalle not so hardy þo couertoure rere,

For colde ne hote, I warne ȝou alle,

For suspecyoñ of tresoun as may befalle.

Yf þo syluer dysshe wylle algate brenne,

A sotelté I wylle þe kenne,

Take þe bredde coruyn and lay by-twene,

And kepe þe welle hit be not sene;

¶ I teche hit for no curtayse,

But for þyn ese.

When þe sewer comys vnto þe borde,

Alle þe mete he sayes at on bare worde,

Þe potage fyrst with brede y-coruyn,

Couerys hom agayn lest þey ben storuyn;

With fysshe or flessh yf [they] be serued,

A morselle þer-of shalle he be keruyd;

And touche þe messe ouer alle aboute,

Þo sewer hit etis with-outen doute.

With baken mete yf he seruyd be þo,

Þo lydes vp-rered or he fyr go,

Þe past or pye he sayes with-inne,

Dippes bredde in graué no more ne mynne;

Ȝif þe baken mete be colde, as may byfalle,

A gobet of þo self he sayes with-alle.

But þou þat berys mete in hande,

Yf þo sewer stonde, loke þou stande;

Yf he knele, knele þou so longe for oȝt,

¶ Tylle mete be sayde þat þou hase broght.

As oft at hegh borde yf brede be nede,

The butler two louys takys indede;

Þat on settes down, þat oþer agayn

He barys to cupborde in towelle playn.

As oft as þe keruer fettys drynke,

Þe butler assayes hit how good hym thynke;

In þe lordys cupp þat leuys vndrynken,

Into þe almesdisshe hit schalle be sonken.

The keruer anon with-outen thouȝt,

OF THE CARVER, SURNAPE-LAYERS, AND CHANDLER.

Vnkouers þe cup þat he hase brouȝt;

Into þe couertoure wyn he powres owt,

Or in-to a spare pece, with-outen doute;

Assayes, an gefes þo lorde to drynke,

Or settes hit doun as hym goode thynke.

Þo keruer schalle kerue þo lordes mete,

Of what kyn pece þat he wylle ete;

And on hys trenchour he hit layes,

On þys maner with-out displayes;

In almesdysshe he layes yche dele,

Þat he is with serued at þo mele;

But he sende hit to ony strongere,

A pese þat is hym leue and dere,

And send hys potage also,

Þat schalle not to þe almes go.

Of keruer more, yf I shulde telle,

Anoþer fytt þenne most I spelle,

Ther-fore I let hit here ouer passe,

To make oure talkyng summedelasse.

When þe lorde hase eten, þo sewer schalle bryng

Þo surnape on his schulder bryng,

A narew towelle, a brode be-syde,

And of hys hondes he lettes hit slyde;

Þe vssher ledes þat on hed ryȝt,

Þo aumener þo oþer away shalle dyȝt.

When þe vssher comys to þe borde ende,

Þo narow towelle he strecches vnkende;

Be-fore þo lorde and þe lady so dere,

Dowbelle he playes þo towelle þere;

Whenne þay haue wasshen and grace is sayde,

Away he takes at a brayde;

Awoydes þo borde in-to þo flore,

Tase away þo trestis þat ben so store.

¶ De candelario.

¶ Now speke I wylle a lytulle whyle

Of þo chandeler, with-outen gyle,

Þat torches and tortes and preketes con make,

Perchours, smale condel, I vnder-take;

Of wax þese candels alle þat brennen,

And morter of wax þat I wele kenne;

Þo snof of hom dose a-way

With close sesours, as I ȝow say;

Þe sesours ben schort and rownde y-close,

With plate of irne vp-on bose.

In chambur no lyȝt þer shalle be brent,

Bot of wax þer-to, yf ȝe take tent;

In halle at soper schalle caldels (so) brenne

Of parys, þer-in þat alle men kenne;

Iche messe a candelle fro alhalawghe day

To candelmesse, as I ȝou say;

Of candel liueray squiyers schalle haue,

So long, if hit is mon wille kraue.

Of brede and ale also þo boteler

Schalle make lyueré thurgh-out þe ȝere

To squyers, and also wyn to knyȝt,

Or ellys he dose not his office ryȝt.

Here endys the thryd speche.

Of alle oure synnes cryst be oure leche,

And bryng vs to his vonyng place!

Amen, sayes ȝe, for hys grete grace!

¶ Amen, par charite.

Notes to the Book of Curtasye.

The Notes were printed near the end of the volume, immediately before the Index. They have been moved here for convenience.

p. 188, l. 377-8, Statut. The only Statute about horse-hire that I can find, is 20 Ric. II. cap. 5, A.D. 1396-7, given below. I suppose the Foure pens of l. 376 of the Boke of Curtasye was the price fixed by “the kyngis crye” or Proclamation, l. 378, or by the sheriff or magistrates in accordance with it as the “due Agreement to the party” required by the Statute.

“Item. Forasmuch as the Commons have made Complaint, that many great Mischiefs Extortions & Oppressions be done by divers people of evil Condition, which of their own Authority take & cause to be taken royally Horses and other Things, and Beasts out of their Wains Carts and Houses, saying & devising that they be to ride on hasty Messages & Business, where of Truth they be in no wise privy of any Business or Message, but only in Deceit & Subtilty, by such Colour and Device to take Horses, and the said Horses hastily to ride & evil entreat, having no Manner of Conscience or Compassion in this Behalf, so that the said Horses become all spoiled and foundered, paying no manner of Thing nor penny for the same, nor giving them any manner of sustenance; and also that some such manner of people, changing & altering their Names, do take and ride such Horses, and carry them far from thence to another Place, so that they to whom they belong, can never after by any mean see, have again, nor know their said Horses where they be, to the great Mischief Loss Impoverishment & Hindrance of the King’s poor People, their Husbandry, and of their Living: Our Lord the King willing, for the Quietness and Ease of his People, to provide Remedy thereof, will & hath ordained, That none from henceforth shall take any such Horse or Beast in Such Manner, against the Consent of them to whom they be; and if any that do, and have no sufficient Warrant nor Authority of the King, he shall be taken and imprisoned till he hath made due Agreement to the Party.”

That this seizing of horses for the pretended use of the king was no fancied grievance, even in much later times, is testified by Roger Ascham’s letter to Lord Chancellor Wriothesley (? in 1546 A.D.) complaining of an audacious seizure of the horse of the invalid Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, on the plea that it was to carry the king’s fish, whereas the seizer’s own servant was the nag’s real burden: “tentatum est per hominem apud nos valde turbulentum, nomine Maxwellum.” Ascham’s Works, ed. Giles, v. 1, p. 99. In vols. ix., x., and xi. of Rymer, I find no Proclamation or Edict about horse-hire. In 1413 Henry V.’s Herbergeator is to provide Henry le Scrop, knight, with all that he wants “Proviso semper quòd idem Henricus pro hujusmodi Fœnis, Equis, Carectis, Cariagiis, & aliis necessariis, per se, seu Homines & Servientes suos prædictos, ibidem capiendis, fideliter solvat & satisfaciat, ut est justum.” Rymer, ix. 13.

The general rule shown by the documents in Rymer is that reasonable payments be made.

De Equis pro Cariagio Gunnorum Regis capiendis.

A.D. 1413 (1 Sept.), An. 1. Hen. V. Pat. 1, Hen. V. p. 3, m. 19. Rex, Dilectis sibi, Johanni Sprong, Armigero, & Johanni Louth Clerico, Salutem.

Sciatis quod Assignavimus vos, conjunctim & divisim, ad tot Equos, Boves, Plaustra, & Carectas, quot pro Cariagio certorum Gunnorum nostrorum, ac aliarum Rerum pro eisdem Gunnis necessarium, a Villa Bristolliæ usque Civitatem nostram Londoniæ, indiguerint, tàm infra Libertates, quàm extea (Feodo Ecclesiæ dumtaxat excepto) pro Denariis nostris, in hac parte rationabiliter solvendis Capiendum & Providendum. Rymer, ix. p. 49.

So in 1417 the order to have six wings plucked from the wing of every goose (except those commonly called Brodoges—? brood geese—) to make arrows for our archers, says that the feathers are rationabiliter solvendis. See also p. 653.

p. 188, l. 358. The stuarde and his stafe. Cp. Cavendish’s Life of Wolsey (ed. Singer, i. 34), “he had in his hall, daily, three especial tables furnished with three principal officers; that is to say, a Steward, which was always a dean or a priest; a Treasurer, a knight; and a Comptroller, an esquire; which bare always within his house their white staves.

“Then had he a cofferer, three marshals, two yeomen ushers, two grooms, and an almoner. He had in the hall-kitchen two clerks of his kitchen, a clerk comptroller, a surveyor of the dresser, a clerk of his spicery.” See the rest of Wolsey’s household officers, p. 34-9.

p. 190, l. 409. Ale. See in Notes on the Months, p. 418, the Song “Bryng us in good ale,” copied from the MS. song-book of an Ipswich Minstrel of the 15th century, read by Mr Thomas Wright before the British Archæological Association, August, 1864, and afterwards published in The Gentleman’s Magazine. P.S.—The song was first printed complete in Mr Wright’s edition of Songs & Carols for the Percy Society, 1847, p. 63. He gives Ritson’s incomplete copy from Harl. MS. 541, at p. 102.

Bryng us in good ale, and bryng us in good ale;
For owr blyssyd lady sak, bryng us in good ale.

Bryng us in no browne bred, fore that is made of brane,

Nor bryng us in no whyt bred, for therin is no game;

But bryng us in good ale.

Bryng us in no befe, for there is many bonys;

But bryng us in good ale, for that goth downe at onys,

And bryng us in good ale.

Bryng us in no bacon, for that is passing fate;

But bryng us in good ale, and gyfe us i-nought of that,

And bryng us in good ale.

Bryng us in no mutton, for that is often lene,

Nor bryng us in no trypes, for thei be syldom clene;

But bryng us in good ale.

Bryng us in no eggys, for ther ar many schelles;

But bryng us in good ale, and gyfe us no[th]yng ellys,

And bryng us in good ale.

Bryng vs in no butter, for therin ar many herys

Nor bryng us in no pygges flesch, for that will make us borys;

But bryng us in good ale.

Bryng us in no podynges, for therin is al Godes-good;

Nor bryng us in no venesen, for that is not for owr blood;

But bryng us in good ale.

Bryng us in no capons flesch, for that is ofte der;

Nor bryng us in no dokes flesche, for thei slober in the mer;

But bryng us in good ale.

See also the other ale song at p. 81 of the same volume, with the burden

Doll thi ale, doll; doll thi ale, doll;
Ale mak many a mane to have a doty poll.

p. 191, l. 435, Gromes. “the said four groomes, or two of them at the least, shall repaire and be in the King’s privy chamber, at the farthest between six and seven of the clock in the morning, or sooner, as they shall have knowledge that the King’s highnesse intendeth to be up early in the morning; which groomes so comen to the said chamber, shall not onely avoyde the pallets, but also make ready the fire, dresse and straw the chamber, purgeing and makeing cleane of the same of all manner of filthynesse, in such manner and wise as the King’s highnesse, at his upriseing and comeing thereunto, may finde the said chamber pure, cleane, whollsome, and meete, without any displeasant aire or thing, as the health, commodity, and pleasure of his most noble person doth require.” Household Ordinances, p. 155, cap. 56, A.D. 1526.

[From the reprint by Bensley & Sons (in 1817) of
“The Booke of Demeanor from Small Poems entitled
The Schoole of Vertue by Richard Weste,” 1619, 12mo.]