Þouȝ ȝe be copious of sentence,

Ȝit to þese clausis for to take hede

Which al into vertues schal ȝoure ȝouþe lede.

In þis writynge, þouȝ þer be no date,

Yf ouȝt be mys in word, sillable, or dede,

I submitte me to correccioun withoute ony debate.

Thus eendith þe book of curteisie þat is clepid
stans puer ad mensam.

Parallel texts: see note before [first version]. Text decorations have been omitted, and lines are numbered by 7.

¶ [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 To all norture thi corage to enclyne. First when thu spekist be not rekles, 7 Kepe feete and fingeris and handes still in pese.] Mi dere sone, first þi silf able with al þin herte to vertuose discipline,— A-fore þi souereyn stondinge at þe table Dispose þou þee aftir my doctryne— To al nortur þi corage to encline. First while þou spekist, be not richelees; Kepe boþe fyngir and hond stille in pees;
Be symple of chiere, cast nat thyn ye aside, Agenst the post lete nat thy bak abyde; Gaase nat aboute, tournyng oueralle; Make nat thy myrrour also of the walle, Pyke nat thy nose, and in especialle Be right wele ware, and sette hieron thi thought, 14 By-fore thy souerayne cracche ne rubbe nought. Be symple in cheer; caste not þi looke a-side, gase not about, turnynge þi siȝt oueral. aȝen þe post lete not þi bak abide, neiþer make þi myrrour also of þe wal. Pike not pi nose; & moost in especial be weel waar, sette her-on þi þouȝt, to-fore þi souereyn cratche ne picke þee nouȝt.
¶ Who spekithe to the in any maner place, Rudely cast nat thyn ye adowne, But with a sadde chiere loke hym in the face; Walke demurely by strete in the towne, Advertise the withe wisdom and Reasoune. Withe dissolute laughters do thow non offence 21 To-fore thy souerayn, whiles he is in presence. ¶ Who-so speke to þee in ony maner place, lumpischli caste not þin heed a-doun, but with a sad cheer loke him in þe face. walke demurely bi streetis in þe toun, And take good hede bi wisdom & resoun þat bi no wantowne lauȝinge þou do noon offence To-fore þi souereyne while he is in presence.
¶ Pare clene thy nailes, thyn handes wasshe also To-fore mete, and whan thow dooest arise; Sitte in that place thow art assigned to; Prease nat to hye in no maner wise; And til thow se afore the thy service, Be nat to hasty on brede for to byte, 28 Of gredynesse lest men wolde the endwyte. Pare clene þi nailis; þin hondis waische also to-fore þi mete, [&] whanne þou doist arise. sitte þou in þat place þat þou art a-signed to; Prece not to hie in no maner wise; And whanne þou seest afore þee þi seruice, be not to hasti upon breed to bite lest men þerof Do þee edwite.
¶ Grennyng and mowes at the table eschowe; Cry nat to lowde; kepe honestly silence; To enboce thy Iowis withe mete is nat diewe; Withe ful mowthe speke nat, lest thow do offence; Drynk nat bretheles for hast ne necligence; Kepe clene thy lippes from fat of flesshe or fisshe; 35 Wype clene thi spone, leve it nat in thy disshe. Grennynge & mowynge at þi table eschewe; Crie not to lowde: honestli kepe silence. To enbrace þi iowis with breed, it is not dewe; with ful mouþ speke not lest þou do offence; Drinke not bridelid for haste ne necligence; Kepe clene þi lippis from fleisch & fische; Wipe faire þi spoon; leue it not in þi dische.
¶ Of brede I-byten no soppis that thow make; In ale nor wyne withe hande leve no fattenes; Withe mowthe enbrewed thy cuppe thow nat take; Enbrewe no napery for no rekelesnes; For to souppe [loude] is agenst gentiles; [N]euer at mete begynne thow nat stryf; 42 Thi tethe also thow pike nat withe no knyf. Of breed with þi teeþ no soppis þou make; Lowde for to soupe is aȝen gentilnes: With mouþ enbrowide þi cuppe þou not take, In ale ne in wiyn with hond leue no fatnes; Defoule not þe naprie bi no richelesnes. Be waar þat at þe mete þou bigynne no striif; Þi teeþ also at þe table picke with no knyf.
¶ Of honest myrthe late be thy daliaunce; Swere none othes, speke no ribawdrye; The best morsel, have in remembraunce, Hole to thyself alwey do nat applie; Part withe thy felaw, for that is curtesie: Laade nat thy trenchour withe many remyssailes; 49 And from blaknes alwey kepe thy nayles. Of honest mirþe euere be þi daliaunce; Swere noon ooþis; speke no ribaudie. Þe beste morsels,—haue þis in remembraunce,— Holli alwey þi silf to take do not applie. Parte with þi felawis, for þat is curteisie. Lete not þi trenchour be with many morsels; And fro blaknes kepe weel þi nailis.
¶ Of curtesye also agenst the lawe, Withe sowne dishonest for to do offence; Of old surfaytes abrayde nat thy felawe; Toward thy souerayne alwey thyn aduertence; Play withe no knyf, take heede to my sentence; At mete and soupper kepe the stille and soft; 56 Eke to and fro meve nat thy foote to oft. Of curtesie it is aȝen þe lawe, With dishoneste, sone, for to do difence; Of oolde forfetis vpbraide not þi felawe; Towarde þi souereyn do euere reuerence. Pleie with no knif, take hede to my sentence; At mete & at soper kepe þee stille & softe, And eek to & fro meeue not þi feeþ to ofte.
¶ Droppe nat thi brest withe sawce ne withe potage; Brynge no knyves vnskoured to the table; Fil nat thy spone, lest in the cariage It went beside, whiche were nat comendable; Be quyke and redy, meke and seruisable, Wele awaityng to fulfille anone 63 What that thy souerayne comav[n]dithe the to be done. Droppe not þi brest with seew & oþer potage, Bringe no foule knyues vnto þe table; Fille not þi spoon lest in þe cariage It scheede bi side, it were not commendable. Be quik & redi, meke & seruiable, Weel awaitinge to fulfille anoon What þat þi souereyn commaundiþ to be doon.
¶ And whereso euer that thow dyne or soupe, Of gentilesse take salt withe thy knyf; And be wele ware thow blow nat in the cuppe. Reuerence thy felawe, gynne withe hym no stryf; Be thy powere kepe pees al thy lyf. Interrupt nat, where so thow wende, 70 None other mans tale, til he have made an ende; And where-so-euere þou be to digne or to suppe, Of gentilnes take salt with þi knyf, And be weel waar þou blowe not in þe cuppe. Reuerence þi felawis; bigynne with hem no strijf; To þi power kepe pees al þi lijf. Intrippe no man where so þat þou wende, No man in his tale, til he haue maade an eende.
¶ Withe thy fyngres make thow nat thy tale; Be wele avised, namly in tendre age, To drynk by mesure bothe wyne and ale; Be nat copious also of langage; As tyme requyrithe, shewe out thy visage, To gladde ne to sory, but kepe atwene tweyne, 77 For losse or lucre or any case sodayne. ¶ With þi fyngris marke not þi tale; be weel avysid, & nameli in tendir age, To drinke mesurabli boþe wiyn & ale. Be not to copiose of langage; As tyme requiriþ schewe out þi visage, To glad, ne to sory, but kepe þee euene bitwene For los, or lucre, or ony case sodene.
¶ Be meke in mesure, nat hasti, but tretable; Ouer moche is nat worthe in no maner thyng; To children it longithe nat to be [vengeable,] Sone meeved and sone forgyvyng; And as it is remembrid bi writyng, Wrathe of children is sone ouergone, 84 Withe an apple the parties be made atone. Be soft in mesure, not hasti, but treteable; Ouer soft is nouȝt in no maner þing To children longiþ not to be vengeable, Soone meued and soone fiȝtinge; And as it is remembrid bi writynge, wraþþe of children is ouercome soone, With þe partis of an appil ben made at oon.
¶ In children werre now myrthe and now debate, In theyr quarel no grete violence; Now pley, now wepyng, sielde in one estate; To theyr playntes gyve no credence; A Rodde refourmythe al theyr insolence; In theyr corage no Rancour dothe abyde; 91 Who sparithe the yerd, al vertu set aside. In children werre is now mirþe & now debate, In her quarel is no violence, now pleie, now wepinge, & seelde in oon state; to her pleyntis ȝeue no credence; A rodde reformeþ al her necligence; in her corage no rancour dooþ abide, who þat spariþ þe rodde all uertues settiþ a-side.
LENVOYE.
¶ Go, litel bille, bareyn of eloquence, Pray yonge children that the shal see or Reede, Thoughe thow be compendious of sentence, Of thi clauses for to taken heede, Whiche to al vertu shal theyr yowthe leede. Of the writyng, thoughe ther be no date, If ought be mysse,—worde, sillable, or dede,— 99 Put al the defaute vpon Iohne Lydegate. A! litil balade, voide of eloquence, I praie ȝou ȝonge children þat þis schal se & rede, Þouȝ ȝe be copious of sentence, Ȝit to þese clausis for to take hede Which al into vertues schal ȝoure ȝouþe lede. In þis writynge, þouȝ þer be no date, Yf ouȝt be mys in word, sillable, or dede, I submitte me to correccioun withoute ony debate.