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 Babees Book, OR A 'LYTYL REPORTE' OF HOW YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD BEHAVE. [MS. Harl. 5086, fol. 86-90; ab. 1475 A.D.]

IN this tretys the whiche I thenke to wryte Out of latyn in-to my comvne langage, He me supporte (sen I kan nat endyte), The whiche only after his owne ymage Line 4 Fourmyd man-kynde! For alle of tendre age In curtesye Resseyve shulle document, And vertues knowe, by this lytil coment.

¶ And Facett seythe the Book of curtesye, Vertues to knowe, thaym forto haue and vse, Line 9 Is thing moste heelfulle in this worlde trevly. Therfore in feythe I wole me nat excuse From this labour ywys, nor hit Refuse; Line 12 For myn owne lernynge wole I say summe thing That touchis vertues and curtesye havyng.

¶ But, O yonge Babees, whome bloode Royalle Withe grace, feture, and hyhe habylite Line 16 Hathe enourmyd, on yow ys that I calle To knowe this Book; for it were grete pyte, Syn that in yow ys sette sovereyne beaute, But yf vertue and nurture were withe alle; Line 20 To yow therfore I speke in specyalle,

¶ And nouhte to hem of elde that bene experte In governaunce, nurture, and honeste.

For what nedys to yeve helle peynes smerte, Line 24 Ioye vnto hevene, or water vnto the see, Heete to the fyre that kan nat but hoote be? [folio 86b] It nedys nouhte: therfore, O Babees yynge, My Book only is made for youre lernynge. Line 28

¶ Therfore I pray that no man Reprehende This lytyl Book, the whiche for yow I make; But where defaute ys, latte ylke man amende, And nouhte deme yt; [I] pray thaym for youre sake. Line 32 For other mede ywys I kepe noone take But that god wolde this Book myhte yche man plese, And in lernynge vnto you donne somme ese.

¶ Eke, swete children, yf there be eny worde That yee kenne nouhte, spyrre whils yee yt ken; Line 37 Whanne yee yt knowe, yee mowe holde yt in horde, Thus thurhe spyrryng yee mowe lerne at wyse men. Also thenke nouhte to straungely at my penne, Line 40 In this metre for yow lyste to procede, Men vsen yt; therfore on hit take hede.

¶ But amonge alle that I thenke of to telle, My purpos ys first only forto trete Line 44 How yee Babees in housholde that done duelle Shulde haue youre sylf whenne yee be sette at mete, And how yee shulde whenne men lyste yow Re|hete, Haue wordes lovly, swete, bleste, and benyngne. Line 48 In this helpe me O Marie, Modir dyngne!

¶ And eke, o lady myn, Facecia! My penne thow guyde, and helpe vnto me shewe;

For as the firste off alle lettres ys the A, [folio 87a] Line 52 So Artow firste Modir of alle vertue. Off myn vnkunnynge, swete lady, now Rewe; And thouhe vntauhte I speke of governaunce, Withe thy swete helpe supporte myn ygnor|aunce. Line 56

A, Bele Babees, herkne now to my lore! Whenne yee entre into your lordis place, Say first, "god spede;" And alle that ben by|fore Yow in this stede, salue withe humble Face; Line 60 Stert nat Rudely; komme Inne an esy pace; Holde vp youre heede, and knele but on oone kne To youre sovereyne or lorde, whedir he be.

¶ And yf they speke withe you at youre komynge, Line 64 Withe stable Eye loke vpone theym Rihte, To theyre tales and yeve yee goode herynge Whils they haue seyde; loke eke withe your myhte Yee Iangle nouhte, also caste nouhte your syhte Line 68 Aboute the hovs, but take to theym entent Withe blythe vysage, and spiryt diligent.

¶ Whenne yee Answere or speke, yee shulle be purveyde What yee shalle say / speke eke thing fructuous; Line 72 On esy wyse latte thy Resone be sayde In wordes gentylle and also compendious, [folio 87b] For many wordes ben rihte Tedious To ylke wyseman that shalle yeve audience; Line 76 Thaym to eschewe therfore doo diligence.

¶ Take eke noo seete, but to stonde be yee preste; Whils forto sytte ye haue in komaundement, Youre heede, youre hande, your feet, holde yee in reste; Line 80 Nor thurhe clowyng your flesshe loke yee nat Rent; Lene to no poste whils that ye stande present Byfore your lorde, nor handylle ye no thyng Als for that tyme vnto the hovs touching. Line 84

¶ At euery tyme obeye vnto youre lorde Whenne yee answere, ellis stonde yee styl as stone But yf he speke; loke withe oon accorde That yf yee se komme Inne eny persone Line 88 Better thanne yee, that yee goo bak anoone And gyff him place; youre bak eke in no way Turne on no wihte, as ferforthe as ye may.

¶ Yiff that youre lorde also yee se drynkynge, Line 92 Looke that ye be in rihte stable sylence Withe-oute lowde lauhtere or Iangelynge, Rovnynge, Iapynge, or other Insolence. Yiff he komaunde also in his presence Line 96 Yow forto sytte, fulfille his wylle belyve, And for youre seete, looke nat withe other stryve,

¶ Whenne yee er sette, take noone vnhoneste tale; Eke forto skorne eschewe withe alle your myhte; Line 100 Latte ay youre chere be lowly, blythe, and hale, [folio 88a] Withe-oute chidynge as that yee wolde fyhte. Yiff yee perceyve also that eny wihte Lyst you kommende that better be thanne yee, Line 104 Ryse vp anoone, and thanke him withe herte free.

¶ Yif that yee se youre lorde or youre lady Touching the housholde speke of eny thinge, Latt theym alloone, for that is curtesy, Line 108 And entremete yow nouhte of theyre doynge, But be Ay Redy withe-oute feynynge At hable tyme to done your lorde service, So shalle yee gete anoone a name of price. Line 112

¶ Also to brynge drynke, holde lihte whanne tyme ys, Or to doo that whiche ouhte forto be done, Looke yee be preste, for so yee shalle ywys In nurture gete a gentyl name ful sone; Line 116 And yif ye shulde at god aske yow a bone, Als to the worlde better in noo degre Mihte yee desire thanne nurtred forto be.

¶ Yif that youre lorde his owne coppe lyste com|mende To yow to drynke, ryse vp whanne yee it take, Line 121 And resseyve it goodly withe boothe youre hende; Of yt also to noone other profre ye make, But vnto him that brouhte yt yee hit take Line 124 Whenne yee haue done, for yt in no kyn wyse [folio 88b] Auhte comvne be, as techis vs the wyse.

¶ Now must I telle in shorte, for I muste so, Youre observaunce that ye shalle done at none; Line 128 Whenne that ye se youre lorde to mete shalle goo, Be redy to fecche him water sone, Summe helle water; summe holde to he hathe done The clothe to him, And from him yee nat pace Line 132 Whils he be sette, and haue herde sayde the grace.

¶ Byfore him stonde whils he komaunde yow sytte, Withe clene handes Ay Redy him to serve; Whenne yee be sette, your knyf withe alle your wytte Line 136 Vnto youre sylf bothe clene and sharpe con|serve, That honestly yee mowe your own mete kerve. Latte curtesye and sylence withe yow duelle, And foule tales looke noone to other telle. Line 140

¶ Kutte withe your knyf your brede, and breke yt nouhte; A clene Trenchour byfore yow eke ye lay, And whenne your potage to yow shalle be brouhte, Take yow sponys, and soupe by no way, Line 144 And in youre dysshe leve nat your spone, I pray, Nor on the borde lenynge be yee nat sene, But from embrowyng the clothe yee kepe clene.

¶ Oute ouere youre dysshe your heede yee nat hynge, And withe fulle mouthe drynke in no wyse; Line 149 Youre nose, your teethe, your naylles, from pykynge, Kepe At your mete, for so techis the wyse. Eke or ye take in youre mouthe, yow avyse, Line 152 So mekyl mete but that yee rihte welle mowe Answere, And speke, whenne men speke to yow.

¶ Whanne ye shalle drynke, your mouthe clence withe A clothe; Youre handes eke that they in no manere Line 156 Imbrowe the cuppe, for thanne shulle noone be lothe

Withe yow to drynke that ben withe yow yfere. The salte also touche nat in his salere Withe nokyns mete, but lay it honestly Line 160 On youre Trenchoure, for that is curtesy.

¶ Youre knyf withe mete to your mouthe nat bere, And in youre hande nor holden yee yt no way, Eke yf to yow be brouhte goode metys sere, Line 164 Luke curteysly of ylke mete yee assay, And yf your dysshe withe mete be tane away And better brouhte, curtesye wole certeyne Yee late yt passe and calle it nat ageyne. Line 168

¶ And yf straungers withe yow be sette at mete, And vnto yow goode mete be brouhte or sente, Withe parte of hit goodely yee theym Rehete, For yt ys nouhte ywys convenyent, Line 172 Withe yow at mete whanne other ben present, Alle forto holde that vnto yow ys brouhte, And as wrecches on other vouchesauf nouhte.

¶ Kutte nouhte youre mete eke as it were Felde men, [folio 89b] That to theyre mete haue suche an appetyte Line 177 That they ne rekke in what wyse, where ne when, Nor how vngoodly they on theyre mete twyte; But, swete children, haue al-wey your delyte Line 180 In curtesye, and in verrey gentylnesse, And at youre myhte eschewe boystousnesse.

¶ Whanne chese ys brouhte, A Trenchoure ha ye clene On whiche withe clene knyf [ye] your chese mowe kerve; Line 184 In youre fedynge luke goodly yee be sene,

And from Iangelyng your tunge al-wey conserve, For so ywys yee shalle a name deserve Off gentylnesse and of goode governaunce, Line 188 And in vertue al-wey youre silf avaunce.

¶ Whanne that so ys that ende shalle kome of mete, Youre knyffes clene, where they ouhte to be, Luke yee putte vppe; and holde eke yee your seete Line 192 Whils yee haue wasshe, for so wole honeste. Whenne yee haue done, looke thanne goodly that yee Withe-oute lauhtere, Iapynge, or boystous worde, Ryse vppe, and goo vnto youre lordis borde, Line 196

¶ And stonde yee there, and passe yee him nat fro Whils grace ys sayde and brouhte vnto an ende, Thanne somme of yow for water owe to goo, Somme holde the clothe, somme poure vppon his hende. Line 200 Other service thanne this I myhte comende [folio 90a] To yow to done, but, for the tyme is shorte, I putte theym nouhte in this lytyl Reporte,

¶ But ouere I passe, prayyng withe spyrit gladde Of this labour that no wihte me detray, Line 205 But where to lytyl ys, latte him more adde, And whenne to myche ys, latte him take away; For thouhe I wolde, tyme wole that I no more say; Line 208 I leve therfore, And this Book I directe To euery wihte that lyste yt to correcte.

¶ And, swete children, for whos love now I write, I yow beseche withe verrey lovande herte, Line 212

Line 212 To knowe this book that yee sette your delyte; And myhtefulle god, that suffred peynes smerte, In curtesye he make yow so experte, That thurhe your nurture and youre governaunce Line 216 In lastynge blysse yee mowe your self auaunce!