CAXTON'S TEXT.
[69]
Lete galante go / I mene recheles rusky[=n]
[Sidenote: Let Reckless Ruskyn go!]
Take hede my chyld to suche as be connyng
[Sidenote: You follow skilful men,]
So shal ye best worship conquere & wynne 479
Enforce you in al your demenyng_e_
To folowe vertu / & fro folye declynyng_e_
[Sidenote: virtue and]
And waite wel that ye loue honeste
[Sidenote: honesty.]
Whiche is acordynge[1] vnto humanyte 483
[Footnote 1: Orig. accrdynge.]
[70]
[Sidenote: Leaf 12 b.]
That is for you / to vnderstonde & knowe
That your araye / be manerly resonable
[Sidenote: Don't dress]
Not apysshe / on to mocken ne to mowe 486
[Sidenote: apishly]
To nyce araye / that is not commendable
[Sidenote: or foppishly.]
Fetis newe founden[1] by foolis vnp_ro_uffitable
That make þ^e world so plainly transformate
That men semen almoste enfemynate 490
[Footnote 1: Orig. fonuden.]
[71]
Playe not Iack malapert / that is to saye
[Sidenote: Don't play Jack Malapert, that is,]
Beware of presump_ci_on / beware of pryde[1]
[Sidenote: don't be presumptuous.]
Take not þ^e first place my child by the waye 493
Tyl other be sette / right manerly abyde
[Sidenote: Wait till others are seated.]
Presumptuo_us_ ben often set a syde.
And_e_ alleday aualyd_e_ / as men may see
And he is sette vp / that hath humylyte 497
[Footnote 1: Orig. pryte.]
* * * * *
THE ORIEL TEXT.
[72]
To[1] cu_n_nyng p_er_sones regarde ye take,
[Sidenote 1: MS. The.]
Where ye be sette in right atentif wyse,
Connyng folke cu_n_nyng folke shulde make, 500
To theire goodnesse ye shalle make your_e_ su_m_mise,
And as thei do, ye mosten deuyse;
For this, my childe, is as the gospell treue,
Whoo wolle be cu_n_nyng muste the cu_n_nyng sewe.
[73]
And o thing I charge you speciall[ie],
To womanhode good kepe you take alway,
And them to serue loke that ye haue an eie, 507
Ther comau_n_dementis, my child_e_, loke ye obey,
Plesaunt wordis to them I warne you saye,
And in all wyse do your_e_ dilligence,
To do them plesur_e_, honoure, and reuerence. 511
[74]
As at this tyme this tretice shall suffice,
Disposeth you to kepe in your_e_ mynde
The doctrines whiche for you I deuyse, 514
And douteth not, fulle welle ye shall hit fynde;
To youre honoure enrolle hit vp and bynde
Ryght in your_e_ brest, and in your_e_ ryper age
I shall wryten you here-of the surplusage. 518
[Sidenote: Hill's Text.]
¶ To co_n_nyng p_er_sones regarde ye take,
wher ye be sette, right i_n_ ententyf wyse;
Co_n_nyng folke co_n_nyng me_n_ shall[e] make; 500
to ther co_n_nyng ye shall[e] make yo_u_r surmyse,
& as _the_i do, ye must yo_u_r selfe devyse;
ffor this, my child, ys as _th_e gospell[e] trewe,
'who will[e] be co_n_nyng, he must co_n_nyng sewe.' 504
¶ And on thyng I warne you specyally:
to woma_n_hede take awe alway,
& the_m_ to s_er_ve loke ye haue an eye,
& ther co_m_avndment_is_ _tha_t ye obeye; 508
Plesaunt word_is_ I avyse you to the_m_ saye,
& in all[e] wyse do ye yo_u_r delygence
To do the_m_ plesyre and reverence. 511
¶ And at this tyme _th_is treatise shall[e] suffice;
Do pose you to kepe it in yo_u_r mynde,
_th_e doctryne which for you I devyse;
& dowteth not, full[e] well[e] ye shall[e] yt fynde
To yo_u_r honowr_e_; enrolle yt vp & bynde 516
Rig[=h]t i_n_ yo_u_r brest, & at yo_u_r ryper age
I shall[e] write you here-of the surplusage.