Early English Meals and Manners Part 79

Thy spone with pottage to full do not fyll, 444 For fylynge the cloth, If thou fortune to spyll, For rudnes it is thy pottage to sup, 448 Or speake to any, his head in the cup.

[Sidenote: Have your knife sharp.]

Thy knyfe se be sharpe to cut fayre thy meate; 452 Thy mouth not to full when thou dost eate;

[Sidenote: Don't smack your lips or gnaw your bones: avoid such beastliness.]

Not smackynge thy lyppes, As comonly do hogges, 456 Nor gnawynge the bones As it were dogges; Suche rudenes abhorre, Suche beastlynes flie, 460 At the table behaue thy selfe manerly.

[Sidenote: Keep your fingers clean, wipe your mouth before drinking.]

[Sidenote: [sign. B. v.]]

Thy fyngers se cleane that thou euer kepe, 464 Hauynge a Napkyn thereon them to wype; Thy mouth therwith Cleane do thou make, 468 The cup to drynke In hande yf thou take, Let not thy tongue At the table walke, 472

[Sidenote: Plato.]

[Sidenote: Don't jabber or stuff.]

And of no matter Neyther reason nor talke.

Temper thy tongue and belly alway, 476 For "measure is treasure,"

the prouerbe doth say,

[Sidenote: Cicero.]

And measure in althynges Is to be vsed; 480 what is without measure Ought to be refused.

[Sidenote: Silence hurts no one, and is fitted for a child at table.]

For silence kepynge thou shalt not be shent, 484

[Sidenote: [sign. B. v.b.]]

where as thy speache May cause thee repent.

[Sidenote: Isocra.]

Bothe speache and silence are commendable, 488 But sylence is metest In a chylde at the table.

[Sidenote: Cato.]

And Cato doth saye, that "in olde and yonge 492 The fyrste of vertue Is to kepe thy tonge."

[Sidenote: Don't pick your teeth, or spit too much.]

Pyke not thy teethe at the table syttynge, 496 Nor vse at thy meate Ouer muche spytynge; this rudnes of youth Is to be abhorde; 500

[Sidenote: Behave properly.]

thy selfe manerly Behaue at the borde.

[Sidenote: Don't laugh too much.]

If occasion of laughter at the table thou se, 504 Beware that thou vse the same moderately.

[Sidenote: [sign. B. vi.]]

[Sidenote: Learn all the good manners you can.]

Of good maners learne So muche as thou can; 508 It wyll thee preferre when thou art a man.

[Sidenote: Aristot.]

Aristotle the Philosopher this worthy sayinge writ, 512

[Sidenote: They are better than playing the fiddle, though that's no harm, but necessary; yet manners are more important.]

That "maners in a chylde are more requisit then playnge on instrumentes and other vayne pleasure; 516 For vertuous maners Is a most precious treasure."

Let not this saynge In no wyse thee offende, 520 For playnge of instrumentes He doth not discommende, But doth graunt them for a chylde necessary, 524 Yet maners muche more see here he doth vary.

Refuse not his councell, Nor his wordes dispise; 528

[Sidenote: [sign. B. vi.b.]]

To vertue and knowledge By them mayste thou ryse.

[Sidenote: _How to behave at Church._]

-- Howe to order thy selfe in the Churche.

Cap. .v.

++Vvhen to the Churche thou shalt repayer, 532

[Sidenote: Pray kneeling or standing.]

Knelynge or standynge, to G.o.d make thy prayer; All worldely matters From thy mynde set apart, 536 Earnestly prayinge, to G.o.d lyfte vp thy hart.

[Sidenote: Psal. 1.]

A contrite harte He wyll not dispyse, 540 whiche he doth coumpt A sweete sacrifice.

[Sidenote: Confess your sins to G.o.d.]

To hym thy sinnes shewe and confesse, 544 Askynge for them Grace and forgyuenes;

[Sidenote: [sign. B. vii.]]

[Sidenote: He knows your disease.]