Early English Meals and Manners Part 94

[[Footnote 1a: ? sense, reading corrupt.]]

[Transcriber's Note:

The following two versions of _Stans Puer ad Mensam_ were printed on facing even/odd pages. They are here presented twice: first as consecutive independent texts, and then in alternating stanzas. In the first version, text notes are grouped after each seven-line stanza.

In the original book, the editor's sidenotes were printed only on the right-hand pages; they have been duplicated here.]

Stans Puer ad Mensam.

ASCRIBED TO JOHN LIDGATE.[[1a]]

[MS. Harl. 2251, ? about 1460 A.D., fol. 153 or 148. The parts between brackets [ ], and various readings, are from Mr Halliwell's print in _Reliquiae Antiquae_, v. 1, p. 156-8, of a 15th-century MS.

Q. G. 8, fol. 77, r^o, in the Library of Jesus College, Cambridge.]

[[Footnote 1a: Lowndes calls the original of _Stans Puer ad Mensam_ the _Carmen Juvenile_ of Sulpitius.]]

-- [My dere childe, first thiself enable With all thin herte to vertuous disciplyne Afor thi soverayne standing at the table, Dispose thi youth aftir my doctryne 4 To all norture thi corage to enclyne.

First when thu spekist be not rekles, Kepe feete and fingeris and handes still in pese.]

[Sidenote: When you stand before your sovereign, speak not recklessly, and keep your hands still.]

++Be symple of chiere, cast nat thyn ye aside, 8 Agenst the post lete nat thy bak abyde; Gaase nat aboute, to{ur}nyng ou{er}all{e}; Make nat thy myrro{ur} also of the wall{e}, Pyke nat thy nose, and in especiall{e} 12 Be right wele ware, and sette hieron thi thought, By-fore thy sou{er}ayne cracche ne rubbe nought.

[Sidenote: Don't stare about, lean against a post, look at the wall, pick your nose, or scratch yourself.]

-- Who spekith{e} to the in any man{er} place, Rudely[1] cast nat thyn ye[2] adowne, 16 But with a sadde chiere loke hym in the face; Walke demurely by strete in the towne, Advertise the with{e} wisdom and Reasoun{e}.

With{e} dissolute laughters do thow non offence 20 To-fore thy sou{er}ayn, whiles he is in presence.

[Sidenote: When spoken to, don't lumpishly look at the ground.

Walk demurely in the streets, and don't laugh before your lord.]

[1: _Rel. Ant._, Lumbisshly]

[2: hede]

-- Pare clene thy nailes, thyn handes wa.s.sh{e} also To-fore mete, and whan thow dooest arise; Sitte in that place thow art a.s.signed to; 24 Prease nat to hye in no man{er} wise; And til thow se afore the thy service, Be nat to hasty on brede for to byte, Of gredynesse lest men wolde the endwyte.[3] 28

[Sidenote: Clean your nails and wash your hands. Sit where you're told to, and don't be too hasty to begin eating.]

[3: a-wite.]

-- Grennyng and mowes at the table eschowe; Cry nat to lowde; kepe honestly silence; To enboce thy Iowis with{e} mete[4] is nat diewe; With{e} ful mowth{e} speke nat, lest thow do offence; 32 Drynk nat bretheles[5] for hast ne necligence; Kepe clene thy lippes from fat of flessh{e} or fissh{e}; Wype clene[6] thi spone, leve it nat in thy dissh{e}.

[Sidenote: Don't grin, shout, or stuff your jaws with food, or drink too quickly. Keep your lips clean, and wipe your spoon.]

[4: brede it]

[5: bridlid]

[6: fayre]

-- Of brede I-byten no soppis that thow make; 36 In ale nor wyne with{e} hande leve no fattenes; With{e} mowth{e} enbrewed thy cuppe thow nat take; Enbrewe[7] no napery for no rekelesnes; For to souppe [loude] is agenst gentiles; 40 [N]eu{er} at mete begynne thow nat[8] stryf; Thi teth{e} also thow pike nat with{e} no knyf.

[Sidenote: Don't make sops of bread, or drink with a dirty mouth.

Don't dirty the table linen, or pick your teeth with your knife.]

[Sidenote: [Fol. 153, back.]]

[7: Foul]

[8: be warre gynne no]

-- Of honest myrth{e} late be thy daliaunce; Swere none othes, speke no ribawdrye; 44 The best morsel, have in remembraunce, Hole to thyself alwey do nat applie; Part with{e} thy felaw, for that is curtesie: Laade nat thy trencho{ur} with{e} many remyssailes; 48 And from blaknes alwey kepe thy nayles.

[Sidenote: Don't swear or talk ribaldry, or take the best bits; share with your fellows. Eat up your pieces, and keep your nails clean.]

-- Of curtesye also agenst the lawe, With{e} sowne[9] dishonest for to do offence; Of old surfaytes abrayde nat thy felawe; 52 Toward thy sou{er}ayne alwey thyn aduertence; Play with{e} no knyf, take heede to my sentence; At mete and soupp{er} kepe the stille and soft; Eke to and fro meve nat thy foote to oft. 56

[Sidenote: It's bad manners to bring up old complaints. Don't play with your knife, or shuffle your feet about.]

[9: Which sou]

-- Droppe nat thi brest with{e} sawce ne with{e} potage; Brynge no knyves vnskoured to the table; Fil nat thy spone, lest in the cariage It went beside, whiche were nat comendable; 60 Be quyke and redy, meke and s{er}uisable, Wele awaityng to fulfille anone What that thy sou{er}ayn{e} comav[{n}]dith{e} the to be done.

[Sidenote: Don't spill your broth on your chest, or use dirty knives, or fill your spoon too full. Be quick to do whatever your lord orders.]

-- And whereso eu{er} that thow dyne or soupe, 64 Of gentilesse take salt with{e} thy knyf; And be wele ware thow blow nat in the cuppe.

Reu{er}ence thy felawe, gynne with{e} hym no stryf; Be thy power{e} kepe pees al thy lyf. 68 Interrupt nat, where so thow wende, None other mans tale, til he have made an ende;

[Sidenote: Take salt with your knife; don't blow in your cup, or begin quarrels. Interrupt no man in his story.]

-- With{e} thy fyngres make[10] thow nat thy tale; Be wele avised, namly in tendre age, 72 To drynk by mesure both{e} wyne and ale; Be nat copious also of langage; As tyme requyrith{e}, shewe out thy visage, To gladde ne to sory, but kepe atwene tweyne, 76 For losse or lucre or any case sodayne.

[Sidenote: Drink wine and ale in moderation. Don't talk too much, but keep a middle course.]

[Sidenote: [Fol. 154 or 149.]]

[10: _Rel. Ant._, marke]

-- Be meke in mesure, nat hasti, but tretable; Ou{er} moche is nat worth{e} in no man{er} thyng; To children it longith{e} nat to be [vengeable,[11]] 80 Sone meeved and sone forgyvyng; And as it is remembrid bi[12] writyng, Wrath{e} of children is sone ou{er}gone, With{e} an apple the p{ar}ties be made atone. 84

[Sidenote: Be gentle and tractable, but not too soft. Children must not be revengeful; their anger is appeased with a bit of apple.]

[11: MS. Harl., tretable]

[12: _Rel. Ant._, by olde]

-- In children werre[13] now myrth{e} and now debate, In theyr quarel no grete violence; Now pley, now wepyng, sielde in one estate; To theyr playntes gyve no credence; 88 A Rodde refo{ur}myth{e} al theyr insolence; In theyr corage no Ranco{ur} doth{e} abyde; Who sparith{e} the yerd, al vertu set aside.