# Vrbanitatis; A Handbook of Manners (MS c. 1460) ## expand\_more Sort **VRBANITATIS** Of Good Manners **Who-so wylle of nurture lere,** **Herken to me & ye shalle here.** **When thou comeste be-fore a lorde** When you come 4 **In halle, yn bowre, or at the borde,** before a lord **Hoode or kappe thou of tho** take off your hat or hood **Ere thou come hym alle un-to,** **Twyse or thryse with-outen dowte** and fall on your 8 **To that lorde thou moste lowte, or thrice.** right knee twice **With thy right kne lette hit be do,** **Thy worshyp thou mayst save so.** Keep your cap off **Holde of thy cappe & thy hood also** till you're told to 12 **Tylle thou be byden hit on to do;** put it on; **Alle the whyle thou spekest with hym,** **Fayr & lovely holde up thy chynn,** hold up your chin; **So aftur the nurtur of the book** 16 **In his face lovely thou loke;** look in the lord's face; **Foot & hond thou kepe fulle stylle** keep hand and **Fro clawyng or tryppyng, hit ys skylle;** foot still; **Fro spettyng & snetyng kepe the also;** don't spit or snot; 20 **Be privy of voydance, & lette hit go.** break wind quietly; **And loke thou be wyse & felle,** **And therto also that thow governe the welle.** behave well. **In-to the halle when thou dost wende** When you go into 24 **Amonge the genteles gode & hende,** the hall, **Prece thou not up to hygh for no thing,** don't press up too high **Nor for thy hygh blood, nere for thy konnyng,** **Nothur to sytte, nether to lene,** 28 **For hit ys neythur good ne clene.** **Lette not thy contynuance also abate,** Don't be shamefaced. **For good nurtur wylle save thy state;** **Fadyr & modyr, what evur they be,** 32 **Welle ys the chylde that may the:** **In halle, in chambur, ore where thou gon,** Wherever you go **Nurtur & good maners maketh man.** good manners make the man. **To the nexte degre loke thou wysely** 36 **To do hem reverence by and by:** Reverence your betters, **Do hem no reverens, but sette alle in rowe** but treat all equally **But yyf thou the bettur do hym knowe.** whom you don't know. **To the mete when thou art sette,** 40 **Fayre & honestly thow ete hyt:** **Fyrste loke that thy handes be clene,** See that your hands are clean, **And that Thy knyf be sharpe & kene;** and your knife sharp. **And cutte thy breed & alle thy mete** 44 **Right even as thou doste hit ete.** **If thou sytte be a worthyor man** **Then thy self thow art on,** **Suffre hym fyrste to towche the mete** Let worthier men help themselves 48 **Ere thy self any ther-of gete;** before you eat, **To the beste morselle thou may not stryke** Don't clutch at **Thowgh thou nevur so welle hit lyke.** the best bit. **Also kepe thy hondys fayre & welle** Keep your hands 52 **Fro fylynge of the towelle,** from dirtying the cloth, **Ther-on thou shalt not thy nose wype;** and don't wipe your nose on it, **Nothur at thy mete thy toth thou pyke;** **To depe in thy cuppe thou may not synke** or dip too deep in your cup. 56 **Thowgh thou have good wylle to drynke,** **Leste thy eyen water there-by,** **Then ys hyt no curtesy.** **Loke yn thy mowth be no mete** Have no meat in your mouth when 64 **When thou begynneste to drynke or speke;** when you drink or speak. **Also when thou sest any man drynkyng** and when your **That taketh hede of thy karpyng** neighbour is drinking. **Soone a-non thou sece thy tale,** stop talking. 64 **Whethur he drynke wyne or Ale.** **Loke also thou skorne no mon** Scorn and **In what degre thou so hym gon;** **Nor thou shalte no mon repreve** reprove no man. 68 **Yyf thou wylt thy owen worshyp save,** **For suche wordys thou myghth out kaste** **Sholde make the to lyve in evelle reste;** **Close thyn honde yn thy feste,** Keep your hands from what would 72 **And kepe the welle from hadde-y-wyste.** bring you to grief. **In chambur among ladyes bryght,** Among ladies, **Kepe thy tonge & spende thy syght;** look, don't talk. **Lawghe thou not with no grette cry,** Don't laugh loud, 76 **Ne Rage thou not with Rybawdry.** or riot with ribalds. **Pley thou not but with thy peres;** **Ne telle thou not that thou heres,** Don't repeat what you hear. **Nor dyskevere thou not thyn owen dede** 80 **For no myrth nor for no mede;** **With fayr speche thou may have thy wylle,** Words make or **And with thy speche thou may the spylle.** mar you. **3yf thou suwe a wordyer mon** If you follow a worthier man, 84 **Then thy self thou art on,** let your right shoulder follow **Lette thy Ryght sholdur folow his bakke,** his back, and **For nurtur that ys, with-owten lakke.** **When he doth speke, holde the style;** don't speak till 88 **When he hath don, say thy wylle;** he has done. **Loke yn thy speche thou be felle,** Be austere in speech; **And what thou sayste a-vyse the welle;** **And be-refe thou no mon his tale,** don't stop any man's tale. 92 **Nopur at wyne nere at Ale.** **Now, criste of his grette grace** **3eve us alle bothe wytte & space** Christ give us all **Welle pis to knowe & Rede,** wit to know this, 96 **And heven to have for our mede! and heaven as our reward.** **Amen, Amen, so moot hit be,** Amen! **So saye we alle for charyte!** EXPLICIT TRACTUS VRBANITATIS. Here ends the tract of good manners Text (slightly regularized and some small changes in running commentary) from *The Babees Book*, ed. Frederick J. Furnivall, EETS 32, 1868, pp. 13-15.