that worthy lorde that lay in an Oxe stalle
mayntayne your husbonde and you, with your gystys all!”
[ [I. Of laying the Cloth and setting out the Table.]
Ffirst, in servise of all thyngys in pantery and botery, and also for the ewery. 1. Have your table-cloths and napkins ready, ffirst, table-clothis, towelles longe and shorte, covertours[3] and napkyns, be ordeyned clenly, clene and redy accordyng to the tyme. also trenchers, salts, &c. Also basyns, ewers, Trenchours of tree or brede, sponys, salte, and kervyng knyves.
Thenne ayenst tyme of mete, 2. Bring your cloths folded, the boteler or the ewer shall brynge forthe clenly dressed and fayre applyed[3] Tabill-clothis, and the cubbord-clothe, cowched uppon his lefte shulder, lay them on the table, laying them uppon the tabill ende, close applied[4] unto the tyme that he have then cover the cupboard, the side-table, and the chief table. firste coverd the cubbord; and thenne cover the syde-tabillis, and laste the principall tabill with dobell clothe draun, cowched, and spradde unto the degre, as longeth therto in festis.
Thenne here-uppon the boteler or panter shall bring forthe his pryncipall salte, and iiij or v loves of paryd brede, havyng a towaile aboute his nekke, the tone half honge or lying uppon his lefte arme unto his hande, and hold the carving-knives in your right hand. and the kervyng knyves holdyng in the ryght hande, iuste unto the salte-seler beryng.
Thenne the boteler or panter shall sette the seler in the myddys of the tabull accordyng to the place where the principall soverain shalle sette, and sette his brede iuste couched unto the salte-seler; and his trenchers before it. and yf ther be trenchours of brede, sette them iuste before the seler, and lay downe faire the kervyng knyves, the poynts to the seler benethe the trenchours.
Thenne the seconde seler att the lower ende, with ij paryd loves[5] therby, and trenchours of brede yf they be ordeyned; If wooden trenchers are used, bring them on. and in case be that trenchours of tree shalbe ordeyned, the panter shall bryng them with nappekyns and sponys whenne the soverayne is sette att tabill.
Thenne after the high principall tabill sette with brede & salte, thenne salte-selers shall be sette uppon the syde-tablys, but no brede unto the tyme such people be sette that fallith to come to mete. 7. Bring out your basins, &c., and set all your plate on the cupboard. Thenne the boteler shall bryng forth basyns, ewers, and cuppis, Pecys,[6] sponys sette into a pece, redressing all his silver plate, upon the cubbord, the largest firste, the richest in the myddis, the lighteste before.