Harl. MS. 4011, Fol. 171

Collected Sidenotes

This section was added by the transcriber. It contains the editor’s summaries as given in his sidenotes, and can be read as a condensed version of the full text.

I n nomine patris, god kepe me / et filij for charite,

Et spiritus sancti, where that y goo by lond or els by see!

an vsshere y Am / ye may beholde / to a prynce of highe degre,

þat enioyethe to enforme & teche / alle þo thatt wille thrive & thee,

Of suche thynges as here-aftur shalle be shewed by my diligence

To them þat nought Can / with-owt gret exsperience;

Therfore yf any mañ þat y mete withe, þat for fawt of necligence,

y wylle hym enforme & teche, for hurtynge of my Conscience.

To teche vertew and connynge, me thynkethe hit charitable,

for moche youthe in connynge / is bareñ & fulle vnable;

þer-fore he þat no good cañ / ne to nooñ wille be agreable.

he shalle neuer y-thryve / þerfore take to hym a babulle.

IOHN RUSSELL MEETS WITH HIS PUPIL.

As y rose owt of my bed, in a mery sesoun of may,

to sporte me in a forest / where sightes were fresche & gay,

y met with þe forster / y prayed hym to say me not nay,

þat y mygh[t] walke in to his lawnde where þe deere lay.

as y wandered weldsomly / in-to þe lawnd þat was so grene,

þer lay iij. herdis of deere / a semely syght for to sene;

y behild oñ my right hand / þe soñ þat shoñ so shene;

y saw where walked / a semely yonge mañ, þat sklendur was & leene;

his bowe he toke in hand toward þe deere to stalke;

y prayed hym his shote to leue / & softely with me to walke.

þis yonge mañ was glad / & louyd with me to talke,

he prayed þat he myȝt withe me goo / in to som herne or halke;

þis yonge mañ frayned / with hoom þat he wonned þañ,

“So god me socoure,” he said / “Sir, y serue myself / & els nooñ oþer mañ.”

“is þy gouernaunce good?” y said, / “soñ, say me ȝiff þow cañ.”

“y wold y were owt of þis world” / seid he / “y ne rouȝt how sone whañ.”

“Sey nought so, good soñ, beware / me thynkethe þow menyst amysse;

for god forbedithe wanhope, for þat a horrible synne ys,

þerfore Soñ, opeñ thyñ hert / for peraveñture y cowd the lis;

“wheñ bale is hext / þañ bote is next” / good sone, lerne welle þis.”

“In certeyñ, sir / y haue y-sought / Ferre & nere many a wilsom way

to gete mete a mastir; & for y cowd nouȝt / euery mañ seid me nay,

y cowd no good, ne nooñ y shewde /where euer y ede day by day

but wantouñ & nyce, recheles & lewde / as Iangelynge as a Iay.”

[Fol. 171 b.]

“Now, son, ȝiff y the teche, wiltow any thynge lere?

wiltow be a seruaunde, plowȝmañ, or a laborere,

Courtyour or a clark / Marchaund / or masoun, or an artificere,

Chamburlayn, or buttillere / pantere or karvere?”

“The office of buttiler, sir, trewly / pantere or chamburlayne,

The connynge of a kervere, specially / of þat y wold lerne fayne

alle þese connynges to haue / y say yow in certayñ,

y shuld pray for youre sowle nevyr to come in payne.”

“Son, y shalle teche þe withe ryght a good wille,

So þat þow loue god & drede / for þat is ryght and skylle,

and to þy mastir be trew / his goodes þat þow not spille,

but hym loue & drede / and hys commaundementȝ dew / fulfylle.

THE DUTIES OF THE PANTER OR BUTLER.

The furst yere, my soñ, þow shalle be pantere or buttilare,

þow must haue iij. knyffes kene / in pantry, y sey the, euermare:

Oñ knyfe þe loves to choppe, anothere them for to pare,

the iij. sharpe & kene to smothe þe trenchurs and square.

alwey thy soueraynes bred thow choppe, & þat it be newe & able;

se alle oþer bred a day old or þou choppe to þe table;

alle howsold bred iij. dayes old / so it is profitable;

and trencher bred iiij. dayes is convenyent & agreable.

loke þy salte be sutille, whyte, fayre and drye,

and þy planere for thy salte / shalle be made of yverye /

þe brede þerof ynches two / þen þe length, ynche told thrye;

and þy salt sellere lydde / towche not thy salt bye.

Good soñ, loke þat þy napery be soote / & also feyre & clene,

bordclothe, towelle & napkyñ, foldyñ alle bydene.

bryght y-pullished youre table knyve, semely in syȝt to sene;

and þy spones fayre y-wasche / ye wote welle what y meene.

looke þow haue tarrers two / a more & lasse for wyne;

wyne canels accordynge to þe tarrers, of box fetice & fyne;

also a gymlet sharpe / to broche & perce / sone to turne & twyne,

with fawcet & tampyne redy / to stoppe when ye se tyme.

So wheñ þow settyst a pipe abroche / good [sone,] do aftur my lore:

iiij fyngur ouer / þe nere chyne þow may percer or bore;

with tarrere or gymlet perce ye vpward þe pipe ashore,

and so shalle ye not cawse þe lies vp to ryse, y warne yow euer more.

Good sone, alle maner frute / þat longethe for sesoñ of þe yere,

Fygges / reysons / almandes, dates / buttur, chese / nottus, apples, & pere,

Compostes & confites, chare de quynces / white & grene gyngere;

OF FRUITS BEFORE DINNER AND AFTER SUPPER.

and ffor aftur questyons, or þy lord sytte / of hym þow know & enquere.

[Fol. 172.]

Serve fastynge / plommys / damsons / cheries / and grapis to plese;

aftur mete / peeres, nottys / strawberies, wȳneberies, and hardchese,

also blawnderelles, pepyns / careawey in comfyte / Compostes ar like to þese.

aftur sopper, rosted apples, peres, blaunche powder, your stomak for to ese.

Bewar at eve / of crayme of cowe & also of the goote, þauȝ it be late,

of Strawberies & hurtilberyes / with the cold Ioncate,

For þese may marre many a mañ changynge his astate,

but ȝiff he haue aftur, hard chese / wafurs, with wyne ypocrate.

hard chese hathe þis condicioun in his operacioun:

Furst he wille a stomak kepe in the botom opeñ,

the helthe of euery creature ys in his condicioun;

yf he diete hym̅ thus dayly / he is a good conclusioun.

buttir is an holsom mete / furst and eke last,

For he wille a stomak kepe / & helpe poyson a-wey to cast,

also he norishethe a mañ to be laske / and evy humerus to wast,

and with white bred / he wille kepe þy mouthe in tast.

THE TREATMENT OF WINES WHEN FERMENTING.

Milke, crayme, and cruddes, and eke the Ioncate,

þey close a mannes stomak / and so dothe þe possate;

þerfore ete hard chese aftir, yef ye sowpe late,

and drynk romney modoun, for feere of chekmate.

beware of saladis, grene metis, & of frutes rawe

for þey make many a mañ haue a feble mawe.

Þerfore, of suche fresch lustes set not an hawe,

For suche wantoun appetites ar not worth a strawe.

alle maner metis þat þy tethe oñ egge doth sette,

take almondes þerfore; & hard chese loke þou not for-gette.

hit wille voide hit awey / but looke to moche þerof not þou ete;

for þe wight of half an vnce with-owt rompney is gret.

Ȝiff dyuerse drynkes of theire fumosite haue þe dissesid,

Ete an appulle rawe, & his fumosite wille be cesed;

mesure is a mery meene / whañ god is not displesed;

abstynens is to prayse what body & sowle ar plesed.

Take good hede to þe wynes / Red, white / & swete,

looke euery nyȝt with a Candelle þat þey not reboyle / nor lete;

euery nyȝt with cold watur washe þe pipes hede, & hit not forgete,

& alle-wey haue a gymlet, & a dise, with lynneñ clowtes smalle or grete.

Ȝiff þe wyne reboyle / þow shalle know by hys syngynge;

þerfore a pipe of coloure de rose / þou kepe þat was spend in drynkynge

[Fol. 172 b.]

the reboyle to Rakke to þe lies of þe rose / þat shalle be his amendynge.

Ȝiff swete wyne be seeke or pallid / put in a Rompney for lesynge.