Whole Duty of Children

A CHILD should always say what's true

And speak when he is spoken to,

And behave mannerly at table:

At least as far as he is able.

Robert Louis Stevenson.

Symon's Lesson of Wisdom for all Manner of Children *

CHILD, I warn thee in all wise,

That thou tell truth and make no lies.

Child, be froward not, nor proud,
But raise thy head and speak aloud;
When any man doth speak to thee,
Doff thy hood and bow thy knee;
Wash thy hands and wash thy face,
And be thou courteous in each place.
When thou comest with good cheer
In hall or bower, bid "God be here!"
Look thou cast at no man's dog

A stone, nor strike his horse or hog;

* A fragment of a fifteenth-century poem, made modern.

Look thou neither scorn nor jape
With man, with maiden, nor with ape;
Let no man of thee make plaint;
Swear not by God, nor yet by saint.

Be courteous, when thou stand'st at meat,
And what men serve thee, take and eat:
Scrupling not to cry nor crave,
Saying, "Nay, that must I have."
Stand thou still before the board,
Look thou speak no noisy word.
Honour thy father and thy mother,
Grieve thou ne'er the one nor other;
But ever and oft shalt thou kneel down,
And ask their blessing and benisoun.
Child, keep thy clothes aye fair and clean,
Let no filth thereon be seen.

Child, climb not over house nor wall,
Neither for fruit, nor bird, nor ball.

Child, cast no stones at neighbour's house,
Since they may break his glass windows;
Make no noise, nor jape, nor play,
In holy church on holy day.

And, child, there's yet another thing,
Keep thee from words and jangeling.
And, child, whene'er thou goest to play,
Look thou come home by light of day.
I warn thee, child, of another matter,
Keep thee well from fire and water;
And beware of how thou dost look

Over brink, or well, or brook.

Rise betimes and go to school,

Fare not as a wanton fool,

Learn as fast as e'er thou can,
For our bishop good is an agèd man,
And therefore thou must learn right fast
Wouldst thou be bishop when he is past.

The Moral of this priceless work
(If rightly understood)

Will make you-from a little Turk-
Unnaturally good.

Do not as evil children do,

Who on the slightest grounds

Will imitate the Kangaroo,

With wild unmeaning bounds.

Do not, as children badly bred,
Who eat like little Hogs,
And when they have to go to bed
Will whine like Puppy Dogs:

Who take their manners from the Ape,
Their habits from the Bear,
Indulge the loud unseemly jape,
And never brush their hair.

Symon.

But so control your actions that

Your friends may all repeat, "This child is dainty as the Cat,

And as the Owl discreet."

Hilaire Belloc.

How to Look when Speaking

"LOUISA, my love," Mrs. Manners began,

"I fear you are learning to stare;

To avoid looking bold, I must give you a plan,
Quite easy to practise with care.

It is not a lady's or gentleman's eyes

You should look at whenever address'd, Whilst hearing them speak, or in making replies, To look at the mouth is the best.

This method is modest, and easy to learn
When children are glad to be taught;
And ah! what a pleasure it is in return,

To speak and to look as you ought!'

Elizabeth Turner.