University of Virginia Library

How to behaue thy selfe in taulkynge with any man.

Capitulo .vii.

If a man demaunde
a question of thee,
In thine aunswere makynge
be not to hastie;
waie well his wordes,
the case vnderstande
Eare an answere to make
thou take in hande,
Els may he iudge
in thee little wit,
To answere to a thynge
and not heare it.
Suffer his tale
whole out to be toulde,
Then speake thou mayst,
and not be controulde;
Low obeisaunce makyng,
lokinge him in the face,
Tretably speaking,
thy wordes see thou place.
with countinaunce sober
thy bodie vprighte
Thy fete iuste to-gether,
thy handes in lyke plight;
Caste not thyne eies
on neither syde.
when thou arte praised,
therin take no pryde.
In tellynge thy tale,
neither laugh nor smyle,
Such folly forsake thou,
banish and exyle;
In audible voice
thy wordes do thou vtter,
Not hie nor lowe,
but vsynge a measure.
Thy wordes se that
thou pronounce plaine,
And that they spoken
Be not in vayne;
In vttryng wherof
Kepe thou an order,
Thy matter therby
thou shalte much forder;
whiche order yf thou
Do not obserue,
From the purpose
nedes must thou swarue,
And hastines of speche
wyll cause thee to erre,
Or wyll thee teache
to stut or stammer.
To stut or stammer
is a foule crime,
Learne then to leaue it,
take warnyng in tyme;
How euyll a chylde
it doth become,
Thy selfe beynge iudge,
hauinge wisedome;
And sure it is taken
by custome and vre,
whyle yonge you be
there is helpe and cure.
This generall rule
yet take with the,
In speakynge to any man
Thy head vn-couered be.
The common prouerbe
remember ye oughte,
“Better vnfedde
then vn-taughte.”