To Moderate the Appetite of a Child from Sauciness and being Liquorish
Socrates being old, would not drink of the first cup; for why? His brain was light, and the first drink is ever the most fuming and overcoming.
If thy child be set with his betters, let his hand be last in the dish. And that he do it not at all, unless he be first bidden. Neither suffer your children to put their hands or fingers into broths, sauces, caudles, or such like, at the table especially. Otherwise, let correction bridle their wantonness.
If he be of sensible years, let him forbear his fingers in a dish, and use a knife without choosing at his pleasure; for it is unseemly.
Homer often reprehendeth sauciness in these or such-like words. They boldly put their hands into the meat that is set before them. And as it is unseemly to a liquorish person to train his hands to every side of the dish, so is it more vile to turn the best morsel towards thyself.
To gnaw bones belongeth chiefly to dogs, but it is a civil thing to pick them clean with a knife.
The licking of a dish belongeth to cats and dogs and not to children nor men, be the relics never so sweet, and betokeneth liquorishiness, not manners.
To drink or speak with meat in the mouth, is uncivil and dangerous withal.
Let the children rise from the board when Nature is sufficed, either by asking leave, or withdrawing themselves.
Let children bear away with them their trenchers, saluting their parents, and first the chief in the company, then the rest.
────────────────
[The book concludes with various graces, a morning prayer, A Prayer for Children ere they go to School (to be said), and the following prayer:—]