The babees book, Aristotle's A B C, Urbanitatis, Stans puer ad mensam, The lvtille childrenes lvtil boke, The bokes of nurture of Hugh Rhodes and John Russell, Wynkyn de Worde's Boke of keruynge, The booke of demeanor, The boke of curtasye, Seager's Schoole of vertue, &c. &c. with some French and latin poems on like subjects, and some forewords on education in early England. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall ...

THE SECOND BOOK.

YF that þou be a ȝong enfaunt, And thenke þo scoles for to haunt, This lessoun schalle þy maistur þe merke, Croscrist þe spede in alle þi werke; Line 144 Sytthen þy pater noster he wille þe teche, As cristes owne postles con preche; Aftur þy Aue maria and þi crede, Þat shalle þe saue at dome of drede; Line 148 ¶ Then aftur to blesse þe with þe trinité, In nomine patris teche he wille þe; Þen with marke, mathew, luke, and Ion, With þe per crucis and the hegh name; Line 152 ¶ To schryue þe in general þou schalle lere Þy Confiteor and misereatur in fere.

To seche þe kyngdam of god, my chylde, Þerto y rede þou be not wylde. Line 156 ¶ Ther-fore worschip god, bothe olde and ȝong, To be in body and soule yliche stronge. When þou comes to þo chirche dore, Take þe haly water stondand on flore; Line 160 ¶ Rede or synge or byd prayeris To crist, for alle þy crysten ferys; Be curtayse to god, and knele doun On bothe knees with grete deuocioun. Line 164 ¶ To mon þou shalle knele opon þe ton, Þe toþer to þy self þou halde alon. When þou ministers at þe heghe autere, With bothe hondes þou serue þo prest in fere, Line 168 Þe ton to stabulle þe toþer Lest þou fayle, my dere broþer. ¶ Anoþer curtayse y wylle þe teche, Thy fadur And modur, with mylde speche, [folio 15] Line 172 In worschip and serue with alle þy myȝt, Þat þou dwelle þe lengur in erthely lyȝt. ¶ To anoþer man do no more amys Then þou woldys be don of hym and hys; Line 176 So crist þou pleses, and getes þe loue Of men and god þat syttis aboue. ¶ Be not to meke, but in mene þe holde, For ellis a fole þou wylle be tolde. Line 180 He þat to ryȝtwysnes wylle enclyne, As holy wryȝt says vs wele and fyne, His sede schalle neuer go seche hor brede, Ne suffur of mon no shames dede. Line 184 ¶ To for-gyf þou shalle þe hast; To veniaunce loke þou come on last; Draw þe to pese with alle þy strengþe; Fro stryf and bate draw þe on lengþe. Line 188 ¶ Yf mon aske þe good for goddys sake, And þe wont thynge wher-of to take,

Gyf hym boner wordys on fayre manere, With glad semblaunt and pure good cher. Line 192 ¶ Also of seruice þou shalle be fre To euery mon in hys degré. Þou schalle neuer lose for to be kynde; That on forȝetis anoþer hase in mynde. Line 196 ¶ Yf Any man haue part with þe in gyft, With hym þou make an euen skyft; Let hit not henge in honde for glose, Þou art vncurtayse yf þou hyt dose. Line 200 ¶ To sayntis yf þou þy gate hase hyȝt, Thou schalle fulfylle hit with alle þy myȝt, Lest god þe stryk with grete veniaunce, And pyt þe in-to sore penaunce. Line 204 ¶ Leue not alle men that speke þe fayre, Wheþer þat hit ben comyns, burges, or mayre; In swete wordis þe nedder was closet, Disseyuaunt euer and mysloset; Line 208 Þer-fore þou art of adams blode, With wordis be ware, but þou be wode: A schort worde is comynly sothe Þat fyrst slydes fro monnes tothe. Line 212 ¶ Loke lyȝer neuer þat þou be-come, Kepe þys worde for alle and somme. Lawȝe not to of[t] for no solace, For no kyn myrthe þat any man mase; Line 216 Who lawes alle þat men may se, A schrew or a fole hym semes to be. ¶ Thre enmys in þys worlde þer are, Þat coueyten alle men to for-fare,— Line 220 The deuel, þe flesshe, þe worlde also, That wyrkyn mankynde ful mykyl wo: Yf þou may strye þes þre enmys, Þou may be secur of heuen blys. Line 224 ¶ Also, my chylde, a-gaynes þy lorde Loke þou stryfe with no kyn worde,

Ne waiour non with hym þou lay, Ne at þe dyces with hym to play. Line 228 ¶ Hym that þou knawes of gretter state, Be not hys felaw in rest ne bate. [folio 16] Ȝif þou be stad in strange contré, Enserche no fyr þen falles to the, Line 232 Ne take no more to do on honde, Þen þou may hafe menske of alle in londe. ¶ Ȝif þou se any mon fal by strete, Laweghe not þer-at in drye ne wete, Line 236 But helpe hym vp with alle þy myȝt, As seynt Ambrose þe teches ryȝt; Þou that stondys so sure on sete, Ware lest þy hede falle to þy fete. Line 240 ¶ My chylde, yf þou stonde at þo masse, At vndur stondis bothe more and lasse, Yf þo prest rede not at þy wylle, Repreue hym noȝt, but holde þe stylle. Line 244 ¶ To any wyȝt þy counselle yf þou schewe, Be war þat he be not a schrewe, Lest he disclaundyr þe with tong Amonge alle men, bothe olde and ȝong. Line 248 ¶ Bekenyng, fynguryng, non þou vse, And pryué rownyng loke þou refuse. Yf þou mete knyȝt, ȝomon, or knaue, Haylys hym a-non, "syre, god ȝou saue." Line 252 Yf he speke fyrst opon þe þore, Onsware hym gladly with-outen more. ¶ Go not forthe as a dombe freke, Syn god hase laft the tonge to speke; Line 256 Lest men sey be sibbe or couthe, "Ȝond is a mon with-outen mouthe." ¶ Speke neuer vnhonestly of woman kynde, Ne let hit neuer renne in þy mynde; Line 260

Line 260 Þe boke hym calles a chorle of chere, That vylany spekes be wemen sere: For alle we ben of wymmen born, And oure fadurs vs be-forne; Line 264 Þerfore hit is a vnhonest thyng To speke of hem in any hethyng. ¶ Also a wyfe be, falle of ryȝt To worschyp hyr husbonde bothe day and nyȝt, Line 268 To his byddyng be obediente, And hym to serue with-outen offence. ¶ Yf two brether be at debate, Loke noþer þou forþer in hor hate, Line 272 But helpe to staunche hom of malice; Þen þou art frende to bothe I-wys. ¶ Ȝif þou go with a-noþer at þo gate, And ȝe be bothe of on astate, Line 276 Be curtasye and let hym haue þe way, That is no vylanye, as men me say; And he be comen of gret kynraden, Go no be-fore þawgh þou be beden; Line 280 And yf þat he þy maystur be, Go not be-fore, for curtasé, Noþer in fylde, wode, noþer launde, Ne euen hym with, but he commaunde. Line 284 ¶ Yf þou schalle on pilgrimage go, Be not þe thryd felaw for wele ne wo; Thre oxen in plowgh may neuer wel drawe, Noþer be craft, ryȝt, ne lawe, [folio 17] Line 288 ¶ Ȝif þou be profert to drynk of cup, Drynke not al of, ne no way sup; Drynk menskely and gyf agayne, Þat is a curtasye, to speke in playne, Line 292 ¶ In bedde yf þou falle herberet to be, With felawe, maystur, or her degré,

Þou schalt enquere be curtasye In what par[t] of þe bedde he wylle lye; Line 296 Be honest and lye þou fer hym fro, Þou art not wyse but þou do so. ¶ With woso men, boþe fer and negh, The falle to go, loke þou be slegh Line 300 To aske his nome, and qweche he be, Whidur he wille: kepe welle þes thre. ¶ With freres on pilgrimage yf þat þou go, Þat þei wille ȝyme, wilne þou also; Line 304 Als on nyȝt þou take þy rest, And byde þe day as tru mannes gest. ¶ In no kyn house þat rede mon is, Ne womon of þo same colour y-wys, Line 308 Take neuer þy Innes for no kyn nede, For þose be folke þat ar to drede. ¶ Yf any thurgh sturnes þe oppose, Onswere hym mekely and make hym glose: Line 312 But glosand wordys þat falsed is, Forsake, and alle that is omys. ¶ Also yf þou haue a lorde, And stondes by-fore hym at þe borde, Line 316 While þat þou speke, kepe welle þy honde, Thy fete also in pece let stonde, ¶ His curtasé nede he most breke,— Stirraunt fyngurs toos when he shalle speke. Line 320 Be stabulle of chere and sumwhat lyȝt, Ne ouer alle wayue þou not thy syȝt; ¶ Gase not on walles with þy neghe, Fyr ne negh, logh ne heghe; Line 324 Let not þe post be-cum þy staf, Lest þou be callet a dotet daf; Ne delf þou neuer nose thyrle With thombe ne fyngur, as ȝong gyrle; Line 328

Line 328 ¶ Rob not þy arme ne noȝt hit claw, Ne bogh not doun þy hede to law; Whil any man spekes with grete besenes, Herken his wordis with-outen distresse. Line 332 ¶ By strete or way yf þou schalle go, Fro þes two þynges þou kepe þe fro, Noþer to harme chylde ne best, With castyng, turnyng west ne est; Line 336 Ne chaunge þou not in face coloure, For lyghtnes of worde in halle ne boure; Yf þy vysage chaunge for noȝt, Men say þe 'trespas þou hase wroȝght.' Line 340 ¶ By-fore þy lorde, ne mawes þou make Ȝif þou wylle curtasie with þe take. With hondes vnwasshen take neuer þy mete; Fro alle þes vices loke þou þe kepe. Line 344 ¶ Loke þou sytt—and make no stryf— [folio 18] Where þo est commaundys, or ellis þo wyf. Eschewe þe heȝest place with wyn, But þou be beden to sitt þer-in. Line 348 Of curtasie here endis þe secunde fyt, To heuen crist mot oure saules flyt!

Notes

• [MS. semblamt]
• to relation or friend.
• contempt, scorn. O.N. heðung, H. Coleridge.
• AS. gȳman, attend, regard, observe, keep.
• thine eye
• Read ost
• AS. win, contention, labour, war; win, wyn, joy, pleasure.