CAXTON'S TEXT.
[36]
Beware my child_e_ / of laughyng ou_er_ mesure
Ne at the borde / ye shall no naylis pare
[Sidenote: Don't pare your nails at table,]
Ne pyke your teth / with knyf / I you ensure 248
[Sidenote: or pick your teeth with a knife.]
Ete at your messe / and other folkes spare
A gloton can but make the bones bare
And_e_ of ynough / he taketh neuer hede
He fedith more for lust / than for nede 252
[37]
[Sidenote: Leaf 7 a.]
And whan þ^e borde is thynne / as of seruyse
Nought replenesshed with, grete diuersite
[Sidenote: When there are not many dishes,]
Of mete & dri_n_ke good chere may the[=n] suffise 255
With honest talkyng / and also ought ye
With gladsom chere / thenne fulsom for to be
[Sidenote: be satisfied with chatting cheerily.]
The poete saith / hou that a poure borde
Men may enriche / with cheerful wil & worde 259
[38]
And one thyng my chylde / ye vnderstonde
In especyall_e_ / for your owne honeste
In the water / wasshe so clene your honde 262
That your towel / neuer enfoyled be
[Sidenote: Wash your hands clean in the water,
so as to leave no dirt on your towel.]
So fowle / that it be lothsom on to see
Wasshe with water / your hondes so cleene
That in the towel shal no spotte be sene 266
* * * * *
THE ORIEL TEXT.
[39]
Leue not your_e_ spone in your_e_ dissche standyng,
Ne vppon the brede hit shall not lie;
Lette your_e_ trenchoure be clene for eny thyng, 269
Yif ye haue no chaunge, yit as honestly
As ye can, maketh avoydie,
So that no fragment from your_e_ trenchour_e_ falle;
Do this, my childe, in chambre and in halle. 273
[40]
Whan Another speketh at the table,
Be ware ye interrupte[1] not is tale nor langage,
[Sidenote 1: MS. corruptly has nattiripte.]
For that is a thing discommendable, 276
And hit is no signe of folkes sage
To ben of wordis besy and outrage;
For the wyse man seyth pleinly in sentence,
'He shall be wyse that yevith Audience.' 280
[41]
Vndre-stondeth ther-for_e_ or than ye speke,
Printyng in your_e_ mynde clerely the sentence,
He that vseth A mannes tale to breke 283
Lettyth vncurtesly the Audience,
And hurtyth hym-sylf for lacke of silence;
He may not yeue answere convenyent
That herith not fynally what is ment. 287
[Sidenote: Hill's Text.]
¶ lete not yo_u_r spone in yo_u_r_e_ disshe stond,
Ne vpon _th_e table yt shuld not lye; 268
lete yo_u_r trenchowre be clen_e_ for any thyng,
& yf ye haue, change yet as honestly
As ye ca_n_; make avoyde manerly
So _th_at no fragme_n_t fro yo_u_r tre_n_cher_e_ fall[e]: 272
Do thus, my child, i_n_ chamber_e_ & i_n_ hall[e].
¶ And wha_n_ a-nother ma_n_ spekyth at _th_e table,
be ware ye int_er_rupte not his langage,
for _tha_t ys a thyng on-comendable, 276
& yt ys not no signe of folk_is_ sage
To be of langage besy & owtrage;
ffor the wyse sayd in his sentence
'he shuld be bold [& be wyse][1] _tha_t gevyth audyence.' 280
[Sidenote 1: In a later hand, above the line.]
[Sidenote: ffl C lxiij.]
¶ Vnd_er_stond _ther_for or than ye speke;
prynt i_n_ yo_u_r mynde clerly _th_e sentence;
who _tha_t vsyth a ma_n_ys tale to breke,
lettyth vncurteysly all[e] the audyence 284
And hurteth hy_m_ self for lake of scyence;
he maye not geve answere co_n_venyente
_tha_t heryt[=h] not fynally what ys mente.