Early English Meals and Manners Part 32

++"Now fayre falle yow fadir / in fayth{e} y am full fayn, For louesomly ye han lered me e nurtur at ye han sayn; 860 pleseth{e} it you to certifye me with oon worde or twayn e Curtesy to co{n}ceue conveniently for eu{er}y chamburlayn."

[Headnote: THE OFFICE OFF A CHAMBURLAYNE.]

[Sidenote: _The Chamberlain's Duties._]

The office off a chamburlayne.[240]

[Sidenote: He must be diligent, neatly dressed, clean-washed, careful of fire and candle,]

++"The Curtesy of a chamburlayn is in office to be diligent, Clenli clad, his clois not all to-rent; 864 handis & face waschen fayr{e}, his hed well kempt; & war eu{er} of fyr{e} and candill{e} at he be not neccligent.

[Sidenote: attentive to his master, light of ear, looking out for things that will please.]

To your{e} mastir looke ye geue diligent attendaunce; be curteyse, glad of cher{e}, & light of er{e} in eu{er}y semblaunce, 868 eu{er} waytyng{e} to at thyng{e} at may do hym plesaunce: to these p{ro}purtees if ye will apply, it may yow well{e} avaunce.

[Sidenote: The Chamberlain must prepare for his lord a clean s.h.i.+rt, under and upper coat and doublet, breeches, socks, and slippers as brown as a water-leech.]

Se that your{e} sou{er}ayne haue clene shurt & breche, a petycote,[241] a dublett, a long{e} coote, if he wer{e} suche, 872 his hosyn well brusshed, his sokk{es} not to seche, his shon or slyppers as browne as is e wat{ur}leche.

[Sidenote: In the morning, must have clean linen ready, warmed by a clear fire.]

In e morow tyde, agaynst your{e} sou{er}ayne doth ryse, wayte hys lynnyn at hit be clene; en warme h{i}t in {i}s wise, 876 by a cler{e} fyr{e} w{i}t{h}owt smoke / if it be cold or frese, and so may ye your{e} sou{er}ayn plese at e best asise.

[Sidenote: When his lord rises, he gets ready the foot-sheet; puts a cus.h.i.+oned chair before the fire, a cus.h.i.+on for the feet,]

Agayne he riseth vp, make redy your{e} fote shete in {i}s man{er} made greithe / & at ye not forgete 880 furst a chayer{e} a-for{e} e fyr{e} / or som o{er} honest sete With{e} a cosshyn {er} vppon / & a no{ur} for the feete [Fol. 184b.]

[Sidenote: and over all spreads the foot-sheet: has a comb and kerchief ready,]

aboue e coschyn & chayer{e} e said shete ou{er} sprad So at it keu{er} e fote coschyn and chayer{e}, ri?t as y bad; 884 Also combe & kercheff / looke er{e} bothe be had your{e} sou{er}eyn hed to kymbe or he be graytly clad:

[Sidenote: and then asks his lord to come to the fire and dress while he waits by.]

++Than pray your{e} sou{er}eyn w{i}t{h} wordus mansuetely to com to a good fyr{e} and aray hym ther by, 888 and ther{e} to sytt or stand / to his p{er}sone plesauntly, and ye eu{er} redy to awayte w{i}t{h} maners metely.

[Sidenote: 1. Give your master his under coat, 2. His doublet, 3. Stomacher well warmed, 4. Vampeys and socks,]

Furst hold to hym a petycote aboue your{e} brest and barme, his dublet an aftur to put in boe hys arme, 892 his stomacher{e} well{e} y-chaffed to kepe hym fro harme, his vampeys[242] and sokkes, an all day he may go warme;

[Sidenote: 5. Draw on his socks, breeches, and shoes, 6. Pull up his breeches, 7. Tie 'em up,]

Then drawe on his sokkis / & hosyn by the fur{e}, his shon laced or bokelid, draw them on sur{e}; 896 Strike his hosyn vppewarde his legge ye endur{e}, en trusse ye them vp strayte / to his plesur{e},

[Sidenote: 8. Lace his doublet, 9. Put a kerchief round his neck, 10. Comb his head with an ivory comb, 11. Give him warm water to wash with,]

Then lace his dublett eu{er}y hoole so by & bye; on his shuldur about his nek a kercheff er{e} must lye, 900 and curteisly an ye kymbe his hed w{i}t{h} combe of yvery, and watur warme his hand{es} to wasche, & face also clenly.

[Sidenote: 12. Kneel down and ask him what gown he'll wear: 13. Get the gown, 14. Hold it out to him;]

++Than knele a down on your{e} kne / & {us} to your{e} sou{er}ayn ye say "Syr, what Robe or govn pleseth it yow to wer{e} to day?" 904 Suche as he axeth for{e} / loke ye plese hym to pay, an hold it to hym a brode, his body {er}-in to array;

[Sidenote: 15. Get his girdle, 16. His Robe (see l. 957). 17. His hood or hat.]

his gurdell{e}, if he wer{e}, be it strayt or lewse; Set his garment goodly / aftur as ye know e vse; 908 take hym hode or hatt / for his hed[[242a]] cloke or cappe de huse; So shall{e} ye plese hym prestly, no nede to make excuse

[Sidenote: 18. Before he goes brush him carefully.]

Whe{ur} hit be feyr{e} or foule, or mysty all{e} with{e} reyn.

Or your{e} mastir depart his place, afor{e} {a}t is be seyn, 912 to brusch{e} besily about hym; loke all be pur and playn wheur he wer{e} saten / sendell, vellewet, scarlet, or greyn.

[Sidenote: Before your lord goes to church, see that his pew is made ready, cus.h.i.+on, curtain, &c.]

Prynce or p{re}late if hit be, or any o{er} potestate, or he entur in to e church{e}, be it erly or late, 916 p{er}ceue all yng{e} for his pewe {a}t it be made p{re}p{ar}ate, boe cosshyn / carpet / & curteyn / bed{es} & boke, forgete not that.

[Sidenote: Return to his bedroom, throw off the clothes, beat the featherbed, see that the fustian and sheets are clean.]

++Than to your{e} sou{er}eynes chambur walke ye in hast; all e cloes of e bed, them aside ye cast; 920 e Fethurbed ye bete / w{i}t{h}out hurt, so no feddurs ye wast, Fustian[243] and shetis clene by sight and sans ye tast.

[Sidenote: Cover the bed with a coverlet, spread out the bench covers and cus.h.i.+ons, set up the headsheet and pillow, remove the urinal and basin,]

Kover w{i}t{h} a keu{er}lyte clenly / at bed so man{er}ly made; e bankers & quosshyns, in e chambur se em feir{e} y-sprad, 924 boe hedshete & pillow also, at e[y] be saaff vp stad, the vrnell{e} & bason also that they awey be had.

[Sidenote: lay carpets round the bed, and with others dress the windows and cupboard, have a fire laid.]

Se the carpett{is} about e bed be forth spred & laid, [Fol. 185.]

wyndowes & cuppeborde w{i}t{h} carpett{is} & cosshyns splayd; 928 Se er be a good fyr{e} in e chambur conveyed, w{i}t{h} wood & fuell{e} redy e fuyr{e} to bete & aide.

[Sidenote: Keep the Privy sweet and clean, cover the boards with green cloth, so that no wood shows at the hole; put a cus.h.i.+on there,]

++Se e privehouse for es.e.m.e.nt[244] be fayr{e}, soote, & clene, & at e bord{es} {er} vppon / be keu{er}ed with{e} clothe feyr{e} & grene, 932 & e hool{e} / hym self, looke er no borde be sene, {er}on a feir{e} quoschyn / e ordour{e} no man to tene

[Sidenote: and have some blanket, cotton, or linen to wipe on; have a basin, jug, and towel, ready for your lord to wash when he leaves the privy.]

looke {er} be blanket / cotyn / or lynyn to wipe e ne{ur} ende[245]; and eu{er} when he clepith{e}, wayte redy & entende, 936 basou{n} and ewer{e}, & on yo{ur} shuldur a towell{e}, my frende[246]; In is wise wors.h.i.+p shall{e} ye wyn / wher{e} {a}t eu{er} ye wende

[Headnote: THE CHAMBERLAIN IN THE WARDEROBES.]

The warderober.[247]

[Sidenote: In the Wardrobe take care to keep the clothes well,]

++In e warderobe ye must muche entende besily the robes to kepe well / & also to brusche em clenly; 940 w{i}t{h} the ende of a soft brusch{e} ye brusch{e} em clenly, and yet ou{er} moche bruschyng{e} wereth{e} cloth lyghtly.