Early English Meals and Manners Part 33

[Sidenote: and brush 'em with a soft brush at least once a week, for fear of moths. Look after your Drapery and Skinnery.]

lett neu{er} wollyn cloth ne furr{e} pa.s.se a seuenyght to be vnbrosshen & shakyn / tend {er}to aright, 944 for mought{es} be redy eu{er} in em to gendur & ali?t; erfore to drapery / & skynn{er}y eu{er} haue ye a sight.

[Sidenote: If your lord will take a nap after his meal, have ready kerchief, comb, pillow and headsheet]

your{e} souerayn aftir mete / his stomak to digest yef he will{e} take a slepe / hym self er{e} for to rest, 948 looke bothe kercheff & combe / at ye haue er{e} prest, bothe pillow & hedshete / for hym e[y] must be drest;

[Sidenote: (don't let him sleep too long), water and towel.]

yet be ye nott ferr{e} hym fro, take tent what y say, For moche slepe is not medcynable in myddis of e day. 952 wayte at ye haue watur to wasch{e} / & towell{e} all{e} way aftur slepe and sege / honeste will not hit denay.

[Headnote: TO PUT A LORD TO BED.]

[Sidenote: When he goes to bed, 1. Spread out the footsheet, 2. Take off your lord's Robe and put it away.]

++Whan your{e} sou{er}ayne hath{e} supped / & to chamb{ur} takith{e} his gate, an sprede forth{e} your{e} fote shete / like as y lered yow late; 956 than his gowne ye gadir of, or garment of his estate, by his licence / & ley hit vpp in suche place as ye best wate.

[Sidenote: 3. Put a cloak on his back, 4. Set him on his footsheet, 5. Pull off his shoes, socks, and breeches, 6. Throw the breeches over your arm,]

vppon his bak a ma{n}tell ye ley / his body to kepe from cold, Set hym on his fote shete[248] / made redy as y yow told; 960 his shon, sokkis, & hosyn / to draw of be ye bolde; e hosyn on your{e} shuldyr cast / on vppon yo{ur} arme ye hold; [Fol. 185b.]

[Sidenote: 7. Comb his head, 8. Put on his kerchief and nightcap, 9. Have the bed, and headsheet, &c., ready,]

your{e} sou{er}eynes hed ye kembe / but furst ye knele to ground; e kercheff and cappe on his hed / hit wolde be warmely wounde; 964 his bed / y-spred / e shete for e hed / e pelow prest {a}t stounde, at when your{e} sou{er}eyn to bed shall go / to slepe er{e} saaf & sounde,

[Sidenote: 10. Draw the curtains, 11. Set the night-light, 12. Drive out dogs and cats, 13. Bow to your lord,]

The curteyns let draw em e bed round about; se his morter[249] w{i}t{h} wax or p{er}cher{e}[250]

at it go not owt; 968 dryve out dogge[[250a]] and catte, or els geue em a clovt; Of your{e} sou{er}ayne take no leue[251]; / but low to hym alowt.

[Sidenote: 14. Keep the night-stool and urinal ready for whenever he calls, and take it back when done with.]

looke at ye haue e bason for ch{a}mbur & also e vrnall{e} redy at all{e} howres when he will{e} clepe or call{e}: 972 his nede p{er}formed, e same receue agayn ye shall{e}, & us may ye haue a thank / & reward when {a}t eu{er} hit fall{e}.

[Headnote: TO MAKE A BATH.]

[Sidenote: _How to prepare a Bath._]

A bathe or stewe so called.

[Sidenote: Hang round the roof, sheets full of sweet herbs, have five or six sponges to sit or lean on,]

?eff your{e} sou{er}ayne will{e} to e bath{e}, his body to wasch{e} clene, hang shetis round about e rooff; do thus as y meene; 976 eu{er}y shete full of flowres & herbis soote & grene, and looke ye haue sponges .v. or vj. p{er}on to sytte or lene:

[Sidenote: and one great sponge to sit on with a sheet over and a sponge under his feet. Mind the door's shut.]

looke {er} be a gret sponge, {er}-on your{e} sou{er}ayne to sytt; {er}on a shete, & so he may bathe hym er{e} a fytte; 980 vndir his feete also a sponge, ?iff {er} be any to putt; and alwey be sur{e} of e dur, & se at he be shutt.

[Sidenote: With a basinful of hot herbs, wash him with a soft sponge, throw rose-water on him; let him go to bed.]

A basyn full in your{e} hand of herbis hote & fresch{e}, & with a soft sponge in hand, his body {a}t ye wasch{e}; 984 Rynse hym with rose watur warme & feir{e} vppon hym flasch{e}, en lett hym go to bed / but looke it be soote & nesch{e};

[Sidenote: Put his socks and slippers on, stand him on his footsheet, wipe him dry, take him to bed to cure his troubles.]

but furst sett on his sokkis, his slyppers on his feete, at he may go feyr{e} to e fyr{e}, er{e} to take his fote shete, 988 an with{e} a clene cloth{e} / to wype awey all wete; than bryng{e} hym to his bed, his bales ther{e} to bete."

[Headnote: THE MAKYNG OF A BATHE MEDICINABLE.]

[Sidenote: _To make a Medicinal Bath._]

The makyng of a bathe medicinable.[252]

[Sidenote: Boil together hollyhock centaury, herb-benet, scabious,]

++"Holy hokke / & yardehok[253] / p{er}itory[254] / and e brown fenell{e},[255] [Fol. 186.]

walle wort[256] / herbe Iohn[257] / Sentory[258] / rybbewort[259] / & camamell{e}, 992

hey hove[260] / heyriff[261] / herbe benet[262] / bresewort[263] / & smallache,[264]

broke lempk[265] / Scabiose[266] / Bilgres[267] / wildflax / is good for ache;

[Sidenote: withy leaves; throw them hot into a vessel, set your lord on it; let him bear it as hot as he can, and whatever disease he has will certainly be cured, as men say.]

wethy leves / grene otes / boyled in fer{e} fulle soft, Cast em hote in to a vessell{e} / & sett your{e} soverayn alloft, 996

and suffir{e} at hete a while as hoot as he may a-bide; se {a}t place be cou{er}ed well{e} ou{er} / & close on eu{er}y side;

and what dissese ye be vexed w{i}t{h}, grevaunce ou{er} peyn, is medicyne shall{e} make yow hoole surely, as men seyn." 1000

[Headnote: USHER AND MARSHAL: THE ORDER OF PRECEDENCE OF PERSONS.]

[Sidenote: _The Duties of an Usher and Marshal._]

The office of ussher & marshalle.[268]

[A]my lorde, my master, of lilleshull{e} abbot[A]

[Text note: This line is in a later hand.]

[Sidenote: He must know the rank and precedence of all people.]

++"The office of a co{n}nyng{e} vscher{e} or marshall{e} w{i}t{h}-owt fable must know all{e} estat{es} of the church goodly & greable, and e excellent estate of a kyng{e} w{i}t{h} his blode honorable: 1004 hit is a notable nurtur{e} / co{n}nyng{e}, curyouse, and commendable.

[Sidenote: I. 1. The Pope. 2. Emperor. 3. King. 4. Cardinal.

5. Prince. 6. Archbishop. 7. Royal Duke.]