How to Order Thyself Sitting at the Table
| O children, give ear | your duties to learn, |
| How at the table | you may yourselves govérn. |
| Presume not too high, | I say, in no case; |
| In sitting down, | to thy betters give place. |
| Suffer each man | first servéd to be; |
| For that is a point | of good courtesy. |
| When they are served, | then pause a space, |
| For that is a sign | of nurture and grace. |
| Salt with thy knife | then reach and take, |
| The bread cut fair, | and do not it break. |
| Thy spoon with pottage | too full do not fill, |
| For [de]filing the cloth, | if thou fortune to spill. |
| For rudeness it is | thy pottage to sup, |
| Or speech to any, | his head in the cup. |
| Thy knife see be sharp | to cut fair thy meat, |
| Thy mouth not too full | when thou dost eat; |
| Not smacking thy lips, | as commonly do hogs, |
| Nor gnawing the bones | as it were dogs; |
| Such rudeness abhor, | such beastliness fly, |
| At the table behave | thyself mannerly. |
| Thy fingers see clean | that thou ever keep, |
| Having a napkin | thereon them to wipe; |
| Thy mouth therewith | clean do thou make, |
| The cup to drink | in hand if thou take, |
| Let not thy tongue | at the table walk, |
| And of no matter | neither reason nor talk. |
| Temper thy tongue | and belly alway, |
| For “measure is treasure,” | the proverb doth say, |
| And measure in all things | is to be used; |
| What is without measure | ought to be refused. |
| For silence keeping | thou shalt not be shent,[[351]] |
| Whereas thy speech | may cause thee repent. |
| Both speech and silence | are commendáble, |
| But silence is meetest | in a child at the table. |
| And Cato doth say, | that “in old and young |
| The first of virtue | is to keep thy tongue.” |
| Pick not thy teeth | at the table sitting, |
| Nor use at thy meat | overmuch spitting; |
| This rudeness of youth | is to be abhorred; |
| Thyself mannerly | behave at the board. |
| If occasion of laughter | at the table thou see, |
| Beware that thou use | the same moderately. |
| Of good manners learn | so much as thou can; |
| It will thee prefer | when thou art a man. |
| Aristotle, the philosopher, | this worthy saying writ, |
| That “manners in a child are | more requisite |
| Than playing on instruments | and other vain pleasure; |
| For virtuous manners | is a most precious treasure.” |
| Let not this saying | in no wise thee offend, |
| For playing of instruments | he doth not discommend, |
| But doth grant them | for a child necessary, |
| Yet manners much more, | see here he doth vary. |
| Refuse not his counsel, | nor his words despise; |
| To virtue and knowledge | by them may’st thou rise. |
How to Order Thyself in the Church
| When to the church | thou shalt repair, |
| Kneeling or standing, | to God make thee prayer. |
| All worldly matters | from thy mind set apart, |
| Earnestly praying, | to God lift up thy heart. |
| A contrite heart | He will not despise, |
| Which He doth count | a sweet sacrifice. |
| To Him thy sins | show and confess, |
| Asking for them | grace and forgiveness. |
| He is the physician | that knoweth thy sore, |
| And can to health | again thee restore. |
| Ask then in faith, | not doubting to have; |
| The things ye desire, | ye shall them receive; |
| So they be lawful | of God to require, |
| He will thee hear | and grant thy desire. |
| More merciful He is | than pen can express, |
| The author and giver | here of all goodness. |
| “All ye that labour | and burdenéd be, |
| I will you refresh | in coming to Me.” |
| These are Christ’s words, | the Scripture is plain, |
| Spoken to all such | as here suffer pain. |
| Our wills to His word | then let us frame, |
| The heavenly habitation | thereby we may claim. |
| In the church comely | thyself do behave, |
| In usage sober, | thy countenance grave. |
| While you be there, | talk of no matter, |
| Nor one with another | whisper nor chatter. |
| Reverently thyself | order alway, |
| When to the church | thou shalt come to pray. |
| Each thing hath his time, | consider the place, |
| For that is a token | of virtue and grace. |
| The Lord doth call it | the house of prayer, |
| And not to be used | as is a fair. |
[This is followed by a series of moral instructions, omitted partly because they do not primarily belong in this book, and partly for lack of space. They are entitled:—
The Fruits of Gaming, Virtue, and Learning (sic).
How to Behave thyself in Talking with any Man.
How to Order thyself, being sent of Message.
Against Anger, Envy and Malice.
The Fruits of Charity, Love and Patience.