After supper matters.
Thy soule hath a clog,
Forget not thy dog.
1
Remember those children, whose parents be poore,
which hunger, yet dare not craue at thy doore.
2
Thy Bandog that serueth for diuerse mishaps,
forget not to giue him thy bones and thy scraps.
Make keies to be keepers,
To bed ye sleepers.
3
Where mouthes be many, to spend that thou hast,
set keies to be keepers for spending too fast.
4
To bed after supper, let drousie go sleepe,
least knaue in the darke to his marrow do creepe.
Keepe keies as thy life,
Feare candle good wife.
5
Such keies lay vp safe, ere ye take ye to rest,
of dairie, of buttrie, of cubboord and chest.
6
Feare candle in hailoft, in barne, and in shed,
feare flea smocke, & mendbreech, for burning their bed.
See doore lockt fast,
Two keies make wast.
7
A doore without locke is a baite for a knaue,
a locke without key, is a foole that will haue.
8
One key to two locks, if it breake is a greefe,
two keies to one locke, in the ende is a theefe.
Night workes troubles hed,
Locke doores and to bed.
9
The day willeth done, whatsoeuer ye bid,
the night is a theefe, if ye take not good hid.
10
Wash dishes, lay leauens, saue fire and away,
locke doores and to bed, a good huswife will say.
To bed know thy guise.
To rise do likewise.
11
In winter at nine, and in sommer at ten,
to bed after supper, both maidens and men.
12
In winter at fiue a clocke, seruant arise,
in sommer at foure is verie good guise.
Loue so as ye may,
Loue many a day.
Be lowly not sollen, if ought go amisse,
what wresting may loose thee, that winne with a kisse.
Both beare and forebeare, now and then as ye may:
then wench God a mercie, thy husband will say.
