[Explicit the book of curtesye] Book of curtesye. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A16385 of text S117348 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 3303). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 29 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 14 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A16385 STC 3303 ESTC S117348 99852563 99852563 17889 2240885662

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A16385) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 17889) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1227:17) [Explicit the book of curtesye] Book of curtesye. [13] leaves By William Caxton, [Westminster : 1477-1478] Title from last line of text. First line of text reads: Lytyl Iohn syth your tendre enfancye. Place of publication and printer's name from and publication date conjectured by STC. In verse. Reproduction of the original in the Cambridge University Library. eng Etiquette, Medieval -- Early works to 1800. England -- Social life and customs -- Early works to 1800. eebo [Explicit the book of curtesye] [no entry] 1477 28 4252 3 0 0 0 0 0 7.06 B The rate of 7.06 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2005-04 Assigned for keying and markup 2005-06 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2005-07 Sampled and proofread 2005-07 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-10 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
lytyl Iohn syth your tendre enfancye Stondeth as yet vnder / in difference To vice or vertu to meuyn or applye And in suche age ther is no prouidence Ne comenly no sad Intelligence But as waxe resseyueth prynte or fygure So children ben disposid of nature Vyce or vertue to folowe and enpresse In mynde / and therfore / to styre & remeue You from vice / and to vertu addresse That one to folowe / and that other t eschewe I haue deuysed you / this lytyl newe Instructōn / acordyng vnto your age Playne in sentence / but playner in langage Take hede therfore / and herkne what I saye And gyue therto / your good aduertence Lete not your ere be here & your herte awaye But put ye therto / besy diligence Leyng aparte al wantown Iusolence Lerneth to be vertuous / and wel thewed Who wil not lerne / nedely he must be lewed Afore alle thing / and principally In the morenyng / whan ye vp rise To worshipe god / haue in memorie With crystes crosse / loke ye blesse you thrise Your pater noster / saye in deuoute wyse Aue maria / with the holy crede Thenne alle the day / the better shal ye spede And while that ye be aboute honestly To dresse your self / & do on̄ your araye With your felawe / wel and tretably Oure lady matyns / loke that ye saye And this obseruance / vse ye euery daye With pryme and ouris / withouten drede The blessid lady / wil quyte you your mede Kembe your hede / & loke ye kepe it clene Your eres tweyne / suffre not fowl to be In your visage / wayte no spot be sene Purge your nose / lete noman in it see The vile mater / it is none honeste Ne with your bare honde / no filth fro it fecche For that is fowl / and an vnairtoys teche Your hondes wesshe / it is an holsom thing Your naylis loke / they be not gety blacke Ne fusfre not hem / to be ouer longe growyng To your araye / I warne you good hede take That manerly ye fytte it vp and make Your hood . gowne . hosyn / & eke your sho With al your aray longyng your body to Kepe you clene / and lose not your gere And or ye passe / out of your loggyng Euery garment / that ye shal on were Awayte wel / that it be so syttyng As to your degre / semeth acordyng Thenne wil men saye / forsoth this childr is he That is wel taught / and louyth honeste And as ye walke / and passe by the strete Be ye not nyce of chere / and countenaunce But loke my child / to folkes that ye mete Ye speke fayr / with wordes of plesaunce Demure and curtoys / of your demenaunce To hym that is your felawe and pere Eyue ye fair langage / and afrendly chere Caste no styck ne stone at fowle ne beest And where ye walke / bewarre ye ne rage For yf ye doo / ye shal to brecheles feest Terre not with hound in felde ne in vilage Go forth your waye / demenyng your viage In sobre wyse / that men may of you saye A goodly chyld / ther passeth by the waye And whan ye come to the chirche my litil child Holy water / ye shal vpon you caste Byfore the crosse / with chere meke & mylde Knele adoun̄ / and knocke on your breste Thankyng the good lord that on it did reste And there / for you susfryd his sides to blede Saye ye or ye rise / pater noster / aue / & a crede Auyse you wel also / for ony thinge The chirche of prayer / is hous and place Beware therfore / of clappe or Iangelyng For in the chirche / it is a ful grete trespaas And a token of suche / as lackyth grace There be ye demure / and kepe ye scilence And serue ye god / with al your diligence To helpe the preest / whan he saith masse Whan it shal happen you or betyde Remeue not fer / ne from his presence passe Knele or stonde ye / deuoutly hym besyde And not to nygh your tonge muste be applide Tanswere hym / with boys ful moderate Auyse you wel / my lityl childe algate To mynystre / with deuoute reuerence Loke ye do / youre humble obseruance Debonairly / with due obedyence Circumspectly / with euery circumstaunce Of poort and chere / of goodly countenance Remembryng wel the lord / a boue is he Whom to serue / is grettest liberte And whan ye speke / loke men in the face With sobre chere / and goodly semblaunce Caste not your eye a syde / in other place For that is a token of wantoun̄ inconsiāce Whiche wil appeyre your name & disauan̄ce The wise man saith who hath these thingis thre Is not lyke a good man for to be In herte he seith / who that is inconstan̄te A waueryng eye / glydyng sodeynly Fco place to place / & afoot varian̄te That in no place / abydeth stably These ben the signes / the wiseman seith sikerly Of suche a wight / as is vnmanerly nyce And is ful likely disposid vnto vyce Awayte my chylde / whan ye stande atte table Of maister or souerayn / whether it be Appl ye you for to be seruysable That no defaute in you founden be Loke / who doth best / and hym ensiewe ye And in especyal / vse ye attendaunce Wherein ye shal your self best auaunce As ye be comanded / so do ye algate Be not causeles / fro the table absent It is a grete plesure / to the hyghe estate To see his seruauntis aboute hym present Haunte no halke / for thenne ye wil be shente Lete maner & mesure / be your gydes tweyne So shal ye best plese / I dar sauely seyne Rewarde also the loke and contenaunce Of your maister / or of your souereyne So shal ye best preue . what is his plesance Or els displesaunce / this is soth serteyne The chere discouerith / often bothe tweyne And eke the chere / somtyme may you addresse In thingis / that langage may not them expresse And that ye her loke / kepe alway secret Besy reporte / of mischief is chief noryse Mykyl langage / may not al fawtles bee Thenne do my childe / as techeth you the wyse Whiche vnto you / this lesson doth deuyse Here and see / and be styll in euery prees Passe forth your way in scilence & in pees And yet in auenture / yf the caas require Ye may speke / but ye muste thenne ꝑcaas Seuen cōdicōns obserue / as ye may now hyre Auyse you wel / what ye saye / & in what place Of whom / & to whom in your mynde compace How ye shal speke / & whan take good hede This con̄celith the wise man withoute drede Awayte my chylde / ye be haue you manerly Whan at your mete / ye sitte at the table In euery prees and in euery company Dispose you to be so compenable That men may of you veporte for commendable For trusteth wel / vpon your beryng Men wil you blame or gyue preysyng And prynte ye trewly your memorie For a princypal point of fair noreture Ye depraue no man absent especyally Saynt austyn amonessleth with besy cure How men atte table / shold hem assure That there escape them / no suche langage As myght other folke hurte to disparage This curtoys clerk / writeth in this wise Rebukyng the vice / of vyle detraccyon What man it be / that of custom & guyse Hurteth with tunge / or by foule colusion Th absente / weyue ye for that abusion̄ Suche a detractour / from the table As vnworthy / and also reprochable Whan ye sitte therfore at your repaste Annoye ye noman presente nor absente But speke ye fewe / for yf ye make waste Of large langage / for sothe ye must be shent And whan ye speke / speke ye with good entent Of maters acordyng vnto plesance But nothing / that may cause men greuance Eschewe also tacches of foule raueyne Of gredy luste / with vncurteys appetyce Prece not to sone / fro your viand restreyne Your honde a while / with manerly respite Fede you for necessite / & not for delite Demene you with mete / & drynke so sobrely That ye not ben enfecte with glotony Enbrewe not your vessel / ne your naprye Ouer maner & mesure / but kepe hem clene Ensoyle not your cuppe / but kepe it clenlye Lete no fat farsione / on your lippes be sene For that is fowle / ye wote what I mene Or than ye drynke / for your owen honeste Your lippes wype / and clenly loke they be Blowe not in your drinke ne in your potage Ne farse not your dishe to ful of brede Bere not your knyf / to ward your visage For therin is parell / and mykyl drede Clawe not your visage / touche not your hede With your bare honde / sittyng atte table For in norture / suche thing is reprouable Lose not your gyrdel / sittyng at your mete For that is a tacche / of vncurtesye But yf ye seme / ye be embraced streite Or than ye sytte / amende it secretly So couertly that no wight you espye Beware also / no breth fro you rebounde Vp ne doun / leste ye were shameful founde Be ye husht in chambre / scylent in halle Herken wel and gyue good audience Yf vssher or marchal for ony rumour calle Put ye Ianglers to rebuke for silence Be ye myld of langage / demure of eloquence Enforce you vnto hym conformed to be That can moste good / and hath humanyte Touche not with your mete / salt t̄ the saler Lest folk apoynte you of vnconnyngnesse Dresse it aparte / vpon a clene trencher Farse not your mouth to ful / for wantonesse Lene not vpon the table / for that rude is And yf I shal to you playnly saye Ouer the table / ye shal not spetel conueye Yef ye be serued / with metes delicate Departe with your felowe / in gentil wise The clerck saith / nature is content & saciate With mene diete / and litil shal susfyse Departe therfore / as I you deuyse Engrose not / vnto your self all For gentilnes / wil aye be liberall And whan percaas your seruise is not large Gruccheth not / with frownyng contenance Ne make therof / not to mykyl charge Dispose you to goodly suffrance And what ye haue / take it in suffysance Be ye plesid with suche as god hath you sent He hath ynough / that can hold hym content Burnysshe no bones / with your teth / beware Suche houndis tacchis / falle of vncurtesye But with your knyf / make the bones bare Handle your mete / so wel and so clenly That ye offende not the company Where ye be sette / as ferforth as ye can Remembryng wel / that maners make man And whan that / ye ete your mete small With open mouth / beware ye not ete But loke your lippes / be closed as a wall Whan to and fro / ye trauerse your mete Kepe you so cloos / that men haue no conseite To saye of you / ony langage or vilonys Bicause ye ete your mete / vnmanerly Beware my child / of laughyng ouer mesure Ne at the borde / ye shal no naylis pare Ne pyke your teth / with knyf / I you eusure Ete at your messe / and other folkes spare A gloton can but make the bones bare And of ynough / he taketh neuer hede He fedith more for lust / than for nede And whan the borde is thynne / as of seruyse Nought replenesshed with grete diuersite Of mete & drinke good chere may then fuffise With honest talkyng / and also ought ye With gladsom chere / thenne fulsom for to be The poete saith / hou that a poure borde Men may enriche / with chereful wil & worde And one thing my chylde / ye vnderstonde In especyall / for your owne honeste In the water / wasshe so clene your honde That your towel / neuer enfoyled be So fowle / that it be lothsom on to see Wasshe with water / your hondes so cleene That in the towel shal no spotte be sene Lete not your spone / in your disshe stonding Ne vpon the table / it shold not lye Lete your trenchour / be clene for ony thing And yf ye haue change / yet as honestly As ye can / make a wyde manerly So that no fragment / fro your trencher falle Do thus my chylde / in chambre & in halle And whan another man / spekith atte table Beware ye enterrupte not / his langage For that is a thinge discomendable And it is no signe of folkes sage To be of langage / besy and outrage For the wyse man said / in his sentence He shold be wyse / that gyueth audience Vnderstonde therfore or than ye speke Prynte in your mynde / clerly the sentence Who that vsith / a mannes tale to breke Letteth vncurteysly / alle the audyence And hurteth hym self / for lack of science He may not gyue answere conuenyente That herith not fynally / what is mente But beware my child / also of rehersayll Of maters / whiche ben atte table meuid It greuith ofte / and doth men disauayle Ful many a man / that vice hath myscheuid Of euyl thing said / is werse contryuid Suche reportis / alway my child eschewe As may of olde frendis / make enemyes new Aduise you wel whan ye take your disporte Honest games / ●hat ye haunte and vse And suche as ben of vylayns reporte I counceyl you my chyld / that ye refuse For truste ye wel / ye shal you not excuse From brecheles feste / and I may you espye Playng at ony game of rybawdrye It is to a godly chyld wel syttyng To vse disportes of myrthe & plesance To harpe or lute / or lustely to synge Or in the prees right manerly to daunce Whan men se a chyld of suche gouernance They saye / glad may this chyldis frendis be To haue a chylde / so manerly as is he Excersise your self also in redyng Of bookes enorned with eloquence Ther shal ye fynde / bothe plesir & lernyng So that ye may / in euery good presence Somwhat fynde / as in sentence That shal acorde / the tyme to ocupy That ye not nede / to stonden ydelly It is fayr / for to be comyn●catyf In maters vnto purpose acordyng So that a wyght seme excers yf For trusteth wel / it is a tedyous thyng For to here a chylde / multeplye talkyng Yf it be not to the purpose applyed And also with / goodly termys alyed Redeth gower in his wrytyng morall That anucyent fader of memorye Redeth his bookes / called confessionall With many another vertuous trayttye Ful of sentence / set ful fructuosly That hym to rede / shal gyue you corage He is so ful of fruyt ▪ sentence and langage O fader and founder of ornate eloquence That enlumened hast alle our bretayne To soone we loste / thy laureate scyence O lusty lyquour / of that fulsom fontayne O cursid deth / why hast thou that poete slayne I mene fader chaucer / maister galfryde Alas the whyle / that euer he from vs dyde Redeth his werkis / ful of plesaunce Clere in sentence / in langage excellent Briefly to wryte / suche was his suffysance What euer to saye / he toke in his entente His langage was so fayr and pertynente It semeth vnto mannys heeryng Not only the worde / but verely the thynge Redeth my chylde / redeth his bookes alle Refuseth none / they ben expedyente Sentence or langage / or bothe fynde ye shall Ful delectable / for that good fader mente Of al his purpose / and his hole entente How to plese in euery audyence And in our tunge / was welle of eloquence Beholde Ocklyf in his translacon̄ In goodly langage / & sentence passyng wyse How he gyueth his prynce / suche exortacon̄ As to the hyest / he coude best deuyse Of trouthe ▪ pees ▪ mercy ▪ and Justise And vertues / leetyng for no slouthe To do his deuoir & quite him of his trouthe Required hym / as ayenst his souerayne Most drad & louyd / wos excellent hyenes He aduertysed / by his wrytyng playne To vertu / apperteynyng to nobles Of a prynce / as bereth good witnes His traytye / entitled of regymente Compyled of entyer trewe entente Loke also / vpon dan John lydgate My maister whylome / monke of berye Worthy to be renomed / as poete laureate I praye to god in blysse his soule be mercy Syngyng Yex splendens that heuenly kyrye Amonge the muses nyne celestyall Byfore the hyest Jubyter of all Passyng the muses nyne of Elycon̄ Where is non pareyl of armonye Thider I truste my meistres soule begone The sterrid paleys / aboue the dapplyd skye There to synge sanctus incessantly Amonge the muses ix celestyall Byfore the hyest / Jubiter of all Redeth his volumes / that ben large & wyde Seueryly set / in sadnes of sentence Enlumyned with colours fressh on euery side Me lacketh witte / I haue none eloquence To gyue hym lawde / after his excellence For I dar saye / he lefte hym not a lyue That coude his connyng / sufficiently discriue But his werkis / his laude / muste nede conquere They may neuer / out of remembraunce dye His werkis shal his name conueye & bere Aboute the world / almost eternely Lete his owen werkis preyse hym & magnefie I dar not preyse / for fere lest I offende My langage / shold rather apeyre than amende Loo my child / these faders auncyente Repen the feldes fresshe of fulsomnes The flours fresh they gadred vp & hente Of siluer langage / the grete riches Who wil it haue my lityl childe doutles Muste of hem begge / ther is nomore to saye For of our tunge / they were both lok & kaye Ther can noman now her werhis disteyne The enbamed tunge / and aureate sentence Men gete it now / by cantelmele & gleyne Here and there by besy diligence And fayne wold reche / her craft of eloquence And by the gleyne / it is ful oft seue In whos felde / the gleyners haue bent And vnto me / age hath bode good morowe I am not able clenly / for to gleyne Nature is fayn̄ of craft / her eyen to borowe Me lacketh clerenes / of myn eyen tweyne Begge I maye / gleyne I can not certeyne Therfore the werck / I wil playnly remytte To folkis yong / more passyng clere of witte Seche ye therfore / and in caas ye fynde Such gleynors fressh as haue some apparence Of fayr langage / yet take hem & vnbynde And preue ye / what they be in existence Colourd in langage / sauerly in sentence And doubte not my childe / withoute deede It wil prouffite to see suche thingis & red Yet eft sones my child / lete vs resorte To th entente of yur first matere Degressed somwhat / for we wold reporte And reuiue the laude of hem that were Famous in our langage / these faders dere Whos sowles in blysse / god eternel auance That lysten so our langage to enhaunce Thenne lityl Iohn / I counceyl you that ye Take hede to the norture / that men vse Newe founde / or auncyent whether it be So shal no man your curtoisye refuse The guyse & custom / my child shal you excuse Mennys werkis / haue often enterchan̄ge That nowe is norture / sometyme had be strange Thingis whilom vsed / ben now leyd a syde And newe feetis / dayly ben contreuid Mennys actes / can in no plyte abyde They be changeable and ofte meuid Thingis somtyme alowed / is now repreuid And after this / shal thinges vp aryse 〈…〉 t men set now / but at lytyl pryse This mene I my childe / that ye shal haunte The guyse of them / that do most manerly But beware of vnthryft ruskyn galan̄te Counterfeter of vnconnyng curtoisye His tacchis ben enfecte with vilonye Vngyrte . vnblyssed . seruyng atte table Me semeth hym a seruant nothing able Wynter and somer to his souereyne Capron hardy / no bonet lyste to auak For euery word / gyuing his maister tweyne Auauntparler / in euery mannys tale Absolon / with disheueld heeris smale Lyke to a prysoner of seynt malowis A sonny busshe / able to go to the galowis O I passe norture fy fy for shame I myght haue said he shold go hauke & honte For that shold be a gentilmans game To suche disportes / gentil folkes be wonte I sayd to ferre / my langage was to blonte But yet sir galante whan ye shal bowe or knele He goth by compace round as doth a whel Braced so strayt / that he may not plye But gaderith it / by maner of a wyndelas And he ought wrenche a syde / or a litil wrie His geer stondeth thenne / m ful parlous caas His sho / his hose / doblet / point & laas And yf ought breke / some tunges that be bad Wil mocke & saie / a knaue hath broke a lad Lete galante go / I mene recheles ruskyn̄ Take hede my chylde to suche as be connyng So shal ye best worship conquere & wynne Enforce you in al your demenyng To folowe vertu / & fro folye declynyng And waite wel that ye loue honeste Whiche is accrdyng vnto humanyte That is for you / to vnderstonde & knowe That your araye / be manerly resonable Not apysshe / on to mocken ne to mowe To nyce araye / that is not commendable Fetis newe founden by fooles vnprouffitable That make the world so plainly transformate That men semen almoste enfemynate Playe not Jack malapert / that is to saye Beware of presumpcyon / beware of pryte Take not the first place my child by the waye Tyl other be sette / right manerly abyde Presumptuous ben often set a syde And alleday aualyd / as men may see And he is sette vp / that hath humylyte To connynd person̄s regarde ye take Where ye be sette / right in ententyf wyse Connyng folk / connyng men shal make To their connyng ye shal make your surmise And as they do / ye muste your self deuyse For this my child / is as the gospel trewe Who wil be connyng / he must the connyng sewe And one thing / I warne you specyally To womanhede / take awe alweye And them to serue / loke ye haue an eye And theire com̄andementis that ye obeye Plesant wordes I auyse you to them seye And in alle wyse / do ye your diligence To do them plesure / and reuerence And at this tyme this tretye shal suffise Dispose you / to kepe it in your mynde The doctrine whiche for you I deuyse And doubteth not / ful wel ye shal it finde To your honour / enrolle it vp and bynde Right in your breste / and at your riper age I shal wryte to you / herof the surplusage Go lytyl John / and who doth you appose Sayng your quayer / kepe non accordance Telle hym as yet / neyther in ryme ne prose Ye ben expert / praye hym of suffrance Chyldren muste be / of chyldly gouernance And also they muste entretyd be With esy thing / and not with subtylte Go lytil quayer / submytte you euery where Vnder correctōn of benyuolence And where enuye is / loke ye come not there For ony thing / kepe your tretye thens Enuye is ful of froward reprehens And how to hurte / lyeth euer in a wayte Kepe your quayer / that it be not ther bayte Explicit the book of curtesye .