| Lytylle childrene, here ye may lere | ||||||
| Moche curtesy that is wrytyne here | ||||||
| For clerkis that the vij artes cunne, | Clerks say that | |||||
| 4 | Seyn that curtesy from hevyn come | courtesy came from heaven when | ||||
| Whan Gabryelle oure lady grette, | Gabriel greeted our Lady, | |||||
| And Elizabeth with Mary mette. | ||||||
| Alle vertues arne closide yn curtesye, | All virtues are included in it. | |||||
| 8 | And alle vices yn vylonye. | |||||
| Loke thyne hondis be wasshe clene, | See that your | |||||
| That no fylthe on thy nayles be sene. | hands and nails are clean. | |||||
| Take thou no mete tylle grace be seyde, | Don't eat till | |||||
| 12 | And tylle thou see alle thynge arayede. | you're told. | ||||
| Loke, my son, that thow not sytte | or sit down till | |||||
| Tylle the ruler of the hous the bydde; | you're told. | |||||
| And at thy mete, yn the begynnyng, | First, think on | |||||
| 16 | Loke on pore men that thow thynk, | the poor; | ||||
| For the fulle wombe without any faylys | the full belly | |||||
| Wot fulle lytyl what the hungery aylys. | wots not what the hungry feels. | |||||
| Ete not thy mete to hastely, | Don't eat too quickly. | |||||
| 20 | A-byde and ete esely. | |||||
| Tylle thou have thy fulle servyse, | Till you are fully helped, | |||||
| Touche noo messe in noo wyse. | touch nothing. | |||||
| Kerve not thy brede to thynne, | Don't break your | |||||
| 24 | Ne breke hit not on twynne: | bread in two, | ||||
| The mosselle that thou begynnsse to touche, | ||||||
| Cast them not in thy pouche. | or put your pieces in your pocket, | |||||
| Put not thy fyngerys on thy dysche, your fingers in the dish, | ||||||
| 28 | Nothyr in flesche, nothyr in fysche. | |||||
| Put not thy mete in-to the salte, | or your meat in | |||||
| In-to thy Seler that thy salte halte, | the saltcellar. | |||||
| But ley it fayre on thi trenchere | ||||||
| 32 | The byfore, and that is thyne honore. | |||||
| Pyke not thine Eris ne thy nostrellis; | Don't pick your ears or nose, | |||||
| If thou do, men wolle sey thou come of cherlis. | ||||||
| And I whylle thi mete yn thi mouth is, | or drink with | |||||
| 36 | Drynk thow not; for-gete not this. | your mouth full, | ||||
| Ete thi mete by smalle mosselles; | ||||||
| Fylle not thy mouth as done brothellis. | ||||||
| Pyke not thi teth with thy knyfe | ||||||
| 40 | In no company begynne thow stryfe. | |||||
| And whan thou hast thi potage doone, | ||||||
| Out of thy dyssh thow put thi spone. | ||||||
| Ne spitte thow not over the tabylle, | Don't spit over or on the table; | |||||
| 44 | Ne therupon, for that is no thing abylle. | that's not proper. | ||||
| Ley not thyne Elbowe nor thy fyst | Don't out your elbows | |||||
| Vpon the tabylle whylis that thow etist. | on the table, | |||||
| Bulk not as a Beene were yn thi throte, | nor belch as if you had | |||||
| 48 | As a karle that comys oute of a cote. | a bean in your throat. | ||||
| And thy mete be of grete pryce, | ||||||
| Be ware of hyt, or thou arte not wyse. | Be careful of good food; | |||||
| Speke noo worde stylle ne sterke; | ||||||
| 52 | And honowre and curtesy loke thou kepe, | and be courteous | ||||
| And at the table loke thou mkake good chere; | and cheerful | |||||
| Loke thou rownde not in nomannys ere. | Don't whisper in any man's ear. | |||||
| Wyth thy fyngeres thou towche and taste | Take your food with your fingers, | |||||
| 56 | Thy mete; And look thou do no waste. | and don't waste it. | ||||
| Loke thou laughe not, nor grenne; | Don't grin or talk too much, | |||||
| And with moche speche thou mayste do synne. | ||||||
| Mete ne drynke loke thou ne spylle, | or spill your food. | |||||
| 60 | But sette hit downe fayre and stylle. | |||||
| Kepe thy cloth clene the byforne, | Keep your cloth clean before you. | |||||
| And bere the so thow have no scorne. | ||||||
| Byte not thi mete, but kerve it clene, | Cut your meat; don't bite it. | |||||
| 64 | Be welle ware no drop be sene. | |||||
| Whan thou etyst, gape not to wyde | Don't open your mouth | |||||
| That thi mouth be sene on yche a syde. | too wide when you eat, | |||||
| And son, beware, I rede, of on thyng, | ||||||
| 68 | Blow nether yn thi mete nor yn thi drynk. | or blow on your food. | ||||
| And yif thi lord drynk at that tyde, | If your lord drinks | |||||
| Drynk thou not, but hym abyde; | always wait till he has done. | |||||
| Be it at Evyne, be it at noone, | ||||||
| 72 | Drynk thou not tylle he haue done. | |||||
| Upon thi trencher no fyllthe thou see, | Keep your trencher clean. | |||||
| It is not honest, as I telle the; | ||||||
| Ne drynk behynde no mannes bakke, | Drink behind no man's back. | |||||
| 76 | For yf thou do, thow art to lakke. | |||||
| And chese come forthe, be not to gredy, | Don't rush at | |||||
| Ne cutte thow not therof to hastely. | the cheese, | |||||
| Caste not thi bones ynto the flore, | or throw your bones on the floor, | |||||
| 80 | But ley them fayre on thi trenchore. | |||||
| Kepe clene thi cloth byfore the alle; | ||||||
| And sit thou stylle, what so be-falle, | Sit still till grace | |||||
| Tylle grace be said vnto the ende, | is said | |||||
| 84 | And tylle thou haue wasshen with thi frend. | and you've washed your hands, | ||||
| Let the more worthy than thow | ||||||
| Wassh to-fore the, & that is thi prow; | ||||||
| And spitte not yn thi basyne, | and don't spit in | |||||
| 88 | My swete son, that thow wasshist yne; | the basin. | ||||
| And aryse up soft & stylle, | Rise quietly, | |||||
| And jangylle nether with Jak ne Jylle, | don't jabber, but | |||||
| But take thi leve of the hede lowly, | ||||||
| 92 | And thank hym with thyne hert hyghly, | thank your host | ||||
| And alle the gentyllis togydre yn-same, | and all the company, | |||||
| And bare the so thow haue no blame; | ||||||
| Than men wylle say therafter | and then men will say, | |||||
| 96 | That a gentylleman was heere. | `A gentleman was here!' | ||||
| And he that dispiseth this techyng, | He who despises this teaching | |||||
| He is not worthy, withoute lesyng, | isn't fit to sit at a | |||||
| Nether at good mannes tabulle to sitte, | good man's table. | |||||
| 100 | Ner of no worships for to wytte. | |||||
| And therfore, chyldren, for charyte, | Children, | |||||
| Lovyth this boke though yt lytil be! | love this little book, | |||||
| And pray for hym that made it thus, | and pray that Jesus | |||||
| 104 | That hym may helpe swete Jesus | may help its | ||||
| To lyve & dye among his frendes, | author to die among his friends | |||||
| And never to be combred with no fendes; | and not be troubled with devils, | |||||
| And geve vs grace yn Joy to be; | but be in joy for | |||||
| 108 | Amen, Amen, for charytee! | ever. Amen! | ||||
| EXPLICIT. lerne or be lewde | ||||||
| quod Whytyng, | ||||||
| AMEN. | ||||||
| HERE endythe the boke of Curtesy that ys fulle necessary unto | ||||||
| yonge chyldryn that muste nedys lerne the maner of curtesy. | ||||||
| EXPLICIT. AMEN. | ||||||
Text (slightly regularized and some small changes in running commentary) from The Babees Book, ed. Frederick J. Furnivall, EETS 32, 1868, pp. 16-24.