University of Virginia Library

Here followeth the Booke of Nurture and Schoole of good manners for man and for Chylde.

Al ye that wysdom seeke to learn,
and would be called wyse:
Obedience learn you in your youth,
in age auoyde you vyce.
I am full blynde in Poets Arte,
thereof I can no skill:
All elloquence I put apart,
following myne owne wyll.
Corrupt in speeche be sure am I,
my breefes from longes to know,
And born and bred in Deuonshyre to
as playne my tearmes doe show.
Take the best, and leaue the worst,
of truth I meane no yll:
The matter is not curyous,
the intent good, marke it well.
Pardon I aske if I offend,
thus boldly now to wryte:
To Mayster, seruaunt, yong and olde,
I doe this booke commit.
Requyring friendly youth and age,
if any doe amis.
For to refourme and hate abuse,
and mend where neede there is.
Set your yong people forth with spede
good manners for to learne:
Unto your Elders gentle be,
agaynst them say no harme.
If youth doe euill their Parentes sure,
reape this reporte full soone:
They that should teach other folkes good,
belyke themselues haue none.
A good Father, good children makes,
grace being them within:
For as they be vsed in youth,
in age they will begin.
He that good manners seemes to lack,
no wyse man doth set by.
Wythout condicions vertuous,
thou art not worth a flye.
Reuerence to thy parentes deare,
so duety doth thee bynde:
Such children as vertue delight,
be gentle, meeke, and kynde.
Agaynst thy Parentes multiplye,
no wordes but be demure:
It will redowne vnto thy prayse,
and to thy friends pleasure.
A plant without moysture sweete,
can bring forth no good flower:
If in youth ye want vertue,
in age ye shall lack honour.
Fyrst dread you God, and flye from sin,
earthly thinges are mortall:
Be thou not hawty in thy lookes,
for pryde will haue a fall.
Ryse you earely in the morning,
for it hath propertyes three:
Holynesse, health, and happy welth,
as my Father taught mee.
At syxe of the clocke, without delay,
vse commonly to ryse:
And giue God thanks for thy good rest
when thou openest thyn eyes.
Pray him also to prosper thee,
and thyne affayres in deede:
All the day after assure thy selfe,
the better shalt thou speede.
Or from thy chamber thou doe passe,
see thou purge thy nose cleane:
And other fylthy thinges lyke ease,
thou knowest what I meane.
Brush thou, and spunge thy cloaths to,
that thou that day shalt weare:
In comly sorte cast vp your Bed,
lose you none of your geare.
Make cleane your shoes, & combe your head,
and your cloathes button or lace:
And see at no tyme you forget,
to wash your hands and face.
Put on clothing for thy degree,
and cleanly doe it make:
Bid your fellow a good morrow,
or you your way forth take.
To friends, father and mother,
looke that ye take good heede:
For any haste them reuerence,
the better shalt thou speede.
Dread the curse of Parents thyne,
it is a heauy thing:
Doe thou thy duety vnto them,
from thee contempt doe flyng.
When that thy parents come in syght,
doe to them reuerence:
Aske them blessing if they haue,
bene long out of presence.
Cleanly appoynt you your array,
beware then of disdayne:
Be gentle then of speech ech tyde,
good manners doe retayne.
As you passe by in towne or streete,
sadly go forth your way:
Gase you, ne scoffe, nor scold, with man
nor chyld, make ye no fray.
Fayre speech gets grace, & loue showes well
alwayes a gentle blood:
Foule speech deserues a double hate,
it prooues thou canst small good.
When that thou comest to the Church,
thy prayers for to say:
See thou sleepe not, nor yet talke not,
deuoutly looke thou pray:
Ne cast thyne eyes to ne fro,
as thinges thou wouldst still see:
So shall wyse men iudge thee a foole,
and wanton for to bee.
When thou are in the Temple see,
thou do thy Churchly workes:
Heare thou Gods word with diligence
craue pardon for thy factes.
When those thinges you haue done,
repayre you to your dinner:
Draw home to your maysters presence
there doe your true indeuour.
If it be your hap, to serue to syt,
or eate meate at the Table:
Enclyne to good maners, and to
nurture yourselfe inable.
And if your soueraygne cast you,
wyth him to dyne or sup:
Giue him preheminence to begin,
of meate, and eake of Cup.
And of this thing beware I wish,
prease not thy selfe to hye:
Syt in the place appoynted thee,
for that is curtesye:
And when thou arte set, and Table
couered thee before:
Pare not thy nayles, fyle not the cloth,
see thou obserue this lore.
And if thy mayster speake to thee,
take thy cap in thy hande:
If thou syt at meate, when hee talketh
to thee, see thou stande.
Leane not asyde when thou shalt speke
vpright be thou standing:
Hold still thy hands, moue not thy feete
beware thou of tryfling.
Stand sadly in telling thy tale,
whensoeuer thou talkest:
Tryfle thou with nothing, stād vpright
whensoeuer thou speakest.
Thwart not thou with thy fellow,
nor speake wyth hye voyce:
Poynt not thy tale with thy fynger,
vse thou no such fond toyes.
Haue audyence when thou speakest,
speake with authoritye:
Else if thou speake of wisedomes lore,
little will it auayle thee.
Pronounce thy speeche distinctly,
see thou marke well thy worde:
It is good hearing of a Chylde,
beware wyth whome ye borde.
Talke not to thy soueraygne deare,
no tyme when he doth drinke,
When he speaketh, giue audyence,
and from him doe not shrinke.
Before that you doe syt see that,
your knyues be made bright:
Your hands cleane, your nayles parde
it is a goodlye sight.
When thou shalt speake to any man,
role not to fast thyne eye:
Gase thou not to and fro as one,
thats voyde of curtesye.
For a mans countenaunce ofte tymes,
discloseth still his thought:
His lookes with his speeche trust thou me
will iudge him good or nought.
Looke that your knyfe be sharp & kene
to cut your meate withall:
So the more cleanlyer be sure,
cut your meate you shall:
Or thou put much bread in thy pottage
looke thou doe it assay:
Fill not thy spoone to full, least thou
loose somewhat by the way.
If any man eate of your dish,
crom you therein no Bread:
Lest that your hands be found sweaty
thereof take ye good heede:
They maye be corrupt, that causeth it,
for it is no fayre vsage:
Of bread flyce out fayre morsels,
to put into your pottage.
Fill it not to full of bread,
for it may be reprooueable:
Least that thou leaue parte, for then to
measure thou arte varyable.
And suppe not lowde of thy Pottage,
no tyme in all thy lyfe:
Dip not thy meate in the Saltseller,
but take it with thy knyfe.
When thou haste eaten thy Pottage,
doe as I shall thee wish.
Wype cleane thy spone I do thee reed,
leaue it not in the dish.
Lay it downe before thy trenchoure,
thereof be not afrayde:
And take heede who takes it vp,
for feare it be conuayde.
Cut not the best peece for thy selfe,
leaue thou some parte behynde:
Bee not greedye of meate and drinke,
be liberall and kynde.
Burnish no bones with thy teeth,
for that is vnseemely:
Rend not thy meate asunder,
for that swarues from curtesy.
And if a straunger syt neare thee,
euer among now and than:
Reward thou him with some daynties
shew thy selfe a Gentleman.
If your fellow sit from his meate,
and cannot come thereto:
Then cutte for him such as thou haste,
he may lyke for thee doe.
Belche thou neare to no mans face,
with a corrupt fumosytye:
But turne from such occasyon friend,
hate such ventositye.
Eate you small morsels of meate,
not to great in quantitye:
If ye lyke such meates, yet follow not
euer your owne fantasye.
Defyle not thy lips with eating much,
as a Pigge eating draffe:
Eate softly, and drinke manerly
take heede you doe not quaffe.
Scratche not thy head with thy fyngers,
when thou arte at thy meate:
Nor spytte you ouer the table boorde,
see thou doest not this forget.
Pick not thy teeth with thy Knyfe,
nor with thy fyngers ende:
But take a stick or some cleane thyng,
then doe you not offende.
If that your teeth be putrifyed,
methinke it is no right:
To touch the meate other should eate,
it is no cleanly sight.
Pick not thy handes I thee requyre,
nor play not with thy knyfe:
Keepe still thy hands and feete also,
at meate tyme vse no stryfe.
Wype thy mouth whē thou shalt drink
Ale, Beare, or any Wyne:
On thy Napkin thou must wype styll,
and see all thing be cleane.
Blow not your nose on the napkin,
where you should wype your hande:
But clense it in your handkercher,
then passe you not your hand.
Wyth your napkyn you may oft wipe
and make your mouth full cleene:
Some thing that thou canst not espye
of others may be seene.
Fill not thy trenchour I thee rid,
with morsels great and large:
Cram not thy mouth to full, ne yet,
thy stomack ouercharge.
But temper thon thy selfe with drinke
so keepe thee from blame:
Dronkennesse hurteth thy honestye,
and hyndreth thy good name.
Keepe thou thy selfe from all excesse,
both in meate and in drinke:
And euer vse thou temperaunce,
whether you wake or wynke.
Fyll not thy mouth to full, leaste thou,
perhaps of force must speake:
Nor blow not out thy crums,
when thou doest eate.
Fowle not the place with spitting,
whereas thou doest syt:
Least it abhore some that syt by
let reason rule thy wyt.
If thou must spit or blow thy nose,
keepe thou it out of sight:
Let it not lye vpon the ground,
but treade thou it out right.
Wyth bones & voyd morsels, fyll not,
thy trenchour my friend full:
Auoyde them into a Uoyder,
no man will it anull.
Roll not thy meate wythin thy mouth
that euery man may it see:
But eate thy meate somewhat close,
for it is honestye.
If that thy Soueraigne profer thee,
to drinke once twyse, or thryse:
Take it gently at his hand,
in Court it is the guyse.
When thou hast dronke, straighte set it downe
or take it his seruaunt:
Let not thy mayster set it downe,
then is it well I warrant.
Blow not thy Pottage, nor Drinke,
for it is not commendable:
For if thou be not whole of thy body,
thy breath is corruptable.
Cast not thy bones vnder the Table,
nor none see thou doe knack:
Stretch thee not at the Table,
nor leane not forth thy back.
Afore thy meat, nor afterward,
with knyfe scortche not the Boorde:
Such toyes are not commendable:
trust thou me at a woorde.
Leane not vpon the Boord when that
your mayster is thereat:
For then will all your Elders thinke,
you be with him Iackmate.
Be not ashamed to eate the meate,
which is set before thee:
Mannerly for to take it friend,
agreeth with curtesye.
Cast not thyne eyes to, ne yet fro,
as thou werte full of toyes:
Use not much wagging with thy head
it scarce becommeth boyes.
Scratch not thy head, nor put thou not
thy fynger in thy mouth:
Blow not thy nose, nor looke thereon,
to most men it is loath.
Be not lowde where you be, nor at
the Table where you syt:
Some men will deeme thee dronken,
mad, or else to lack thy wit.
When meate is taken quyte a waye,
and voyders in presence:
Put you your trenchour in the same,
and all your resydence.
Take you with your napkin and knyfe
the croms that are fore thee.
In the Uoyder your Napkyn leaue,
for it is curtesye.
Be gentle alway, and glad to please,
be it night or daye:
Wyth tongue nor hand, no rygor vse,
let reason rule alwaye.
When that the meate is taken vp,
and the Table cloath made cleane:
Then giue good eare to heare some grace,
to washe your selfe demeane.
And whyle that grace is saying friend
looke that ye make no noyse:
And thanke you God for your good fare,
him as your soueraigne prayse.
When ye begin from boorde to ryse,
say to your fellowes all:
Much good do it ye gently, then
they curteous will ye call.
Then goe you to your Soueraygne,
giue him obeysaunce duely:
That done withdraw your selfe asyde
at no tyme prooue vnruely.
If ye see men in counsell set,
prease not to come to neare:
They will say that you are vntaughte,
if you to them giue eare.
Whysper not thou with thy fellowes oft,
giue thou no euill language:
Men are suspicious found, and wyll,
thinke it no good vsage.
Laugh not to much at the Table,
nor at it make no game:
Uoyde slaunderous and bawdy tales,
vse them not for shame.
Or thou be olde, beware I rid,
least thou doe get a fall:
If ye be honest in your youth,
in age ye may be lyberall.