Fro cupborde he brynges bothe brede and wyne,
And fyrst assayes hit wele a[nd] fyne.
Line 512
But fyrst þe lorde shalle vasshe I-wys, [folio 21]
Fro þo fyr hous when he comen is;
Þen kneles þe vssher and gyfes hym drynke,
Brynges hym in bed where he shalle wynke;
Line 516
In strong styd on palet he lay,
At home tase lefe and gose his way;
Ȝomon vssher be-fore þe dore,
In vttur chambur lies on þe flore.
Line 520
¶ De seneschallo. [See the 'Styward of Housholde,' H. Ord. p. 55-6: 'He is head officer.']
¶ Now speke I wylle of þo stuarde als,
Few ar trew, but fele ar [MS. and] fals.
Þo clerke of kechyn, countrollour,
Stuarde, coke, and surueyour,
Line 524
Assenten in counselle, with-outen skorne,
How þo lorde schalle fare at mete þo morne.
Yf any deyntethe in countré be,
Þo stuarde schewes hit to þo lorde so fre,
Line 528
And gares by hyt for any cost,
Hit were grete syn and hit were lost.
Byfore þe cours þo stuarde comes þen,
Þe seruer hit next of alle kyn men
Line 532
Mays way and stondes by syde,
Tyl alle be serued at þat tyde.
At countyng stuarde schalle ben,
Tylle alle be breuet of wax so grene,
Line 536
Wrytten in-to bokes, with-out let,
Þat be-fore in tabuls hase ben sett,
Tyl countes also þer-on ben cast,
And somet vp holy at þo last.
Line 540
