his bed / y-spred / þe shete for þe hed / þe pelow prest þat stounde,
þat when youre souereyn to bed shall go / to slepe þere saaf & sounde,
The curteyns let draw þem þe bed round about;
se his morter [Morter . . a kind of Lamp or Wax-taper. Mortarium (in old Latin records) a Mortar, Taper, or Light set in Churches, to burn over the Graves or Shrines of the Dead. Phillips.] with wax or perchere [Perchers, the Paris-Candles formerly us'd in England; also the bigger sort of Candles, especially of Wax, which were com|monly set upon the Altars. Phil.] þat it go not owt;
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dryve out dogge and catte, or els geue þem a clovt;
Of youre souerayne take no leue [
The Boke of Curtasye (see l. 519-20 below) lets the (chief) usher who puts the lord to bed, go his way, and says
Ȝomon vssher be-fore þe doreIn vtter chambur lies on þe flore.] ; / but low to hym alowt. looke þat ye haue þe bason for chambur & also þe vrnalle redy at alle howres when he wille clepe or calle: Line 972 his nede performed, þe same receue agayn ye shalle, & þus may ye haue a thank / & reward when þat euer hit falle.
A bathe or stewe so called.
Ȝeff youre souerayne wille to þe bathe, his body to wasche clene,
hang shetis round about þe rooff; do thus as y meene;
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euery shete full of flowres & herbis soote & grene,
and looke ye haue sponges .v. or vj. þeron to sytte or lene:
