Yf he speke fyrst opon the pore,
Onsware hym gladly withouten more.
Go not forthe as a dombe freke,
Syn God has left the tonge to speke;
Lest menne sey be sibbe or couthe,
30nd is a mon withouten mouthe.
Speke never unhonestly of woman kynde,
Ne let hit never renne in thy mynde;
The boke hym calle a chorle of chere,
That vylany spekes be wemen sere:
ffor alle we ben of wymmen borne,
And oure fadurs us beforne;
Therfor hit is a unhonest thyng
To speke of hem in any hething.
Also a wyfe be falle of ry3t,
To worschyp hyr husbonde bothe day and ny3t,
To his byddyng be obediente,
And hym to serve withouten offence.
Yf two brether be at debate,
Loke nother thou forther in hor hate,
But helpe to staunche hom of malice,
Then thou art frende to bothe i-wys.
zif thou go with another at tho gate,
And зе be bothe of on astate,
Be curtasye and let hym have the way,
That is no vylanye, as men me say;
And he be comen of gret kynraden,
Go no before thawgh thou be beden ;
And yf that he thy maystur be,
Go not before, for curtasé,
Nother in fylde, wode, nother launde,
Ne even hym with, but he commaunde.
Yf thou schalle on pilgrimage go,
Be not the thryd felaw for wele ne wo;
Thre oxen in plowgh may never wel drawe,
Nother be craft, ryzt, ne lawe.
zif thou be profert to drynk of cup,
Drynke not al of, ne no way sup;
Drynk menskely and gyf agayne,
That is a curtasye, to speke in playne.
In bedde yf thou falle herberet to be,
With felawe, maystur, or her degré,
Thou shalt enquer be curtasye
In what part of the bedde he wylle lye;
Be honest and lye thou fer hym fro,
Thou art not wyse but thou do so.
With woso menne, bothe fer and negh,
The falle to go, loke thou be slegh
To aske his nome and qweche he be,
Whidur he will kepe welle thes thre.
With freres on pilgrimage yf that thou go,
That thei will zyme wilne thou also,
Als on nyzt thou take thy rest,
And byde the day as tru mannes gest.
In no kyn house that rede-mon is,
Ne womon of tho same colour y-wys,
Take never thy innes for no kyn nede,
ffor those be folke that ar to drede.
Yf any thurgh sturnes the oppose,
Onswere hym mekely and make hym glose,
But glosand wordys that falsed is, fforsake and alle that is omys.
Also yf thou have a lorde,
And stondes byfore hym at the borde,
While that thou speke kepe well thy honde,
Thy fete also in pece let stonde;
His curtasé nede he most breke,
Stirraunt fyngurs too when he shall speke.
Be stabulle of chere and sumwhat lyzt,
Ne over alle wayne thou not thy syzt.
Gase not on walles with thy negh,
ffyr ne negh, logh ne hegh;
Let not the post becum thy staf,
Lest thou be callet a dotet daf;
Ne delf thou never nose thyrle
With thombe ne fyngur, as 3ong gyrle;
Rob not thy arme ne nozt hit claw,
Ne bogh not done thy hede to law;
Whil any man spekes with grete besenes,
Herken his wordis withouten distresse.
By strete or way yf thou shalle go,
ffro thes two thynges thou kepe the fro,— Nother to harme chylde ne best,
With castyng, turnyng west ne est ;
Ne chaunge thou not in face coloure,
ffor lyghtnes of worde in halle ne boure;
Yf thy vysage chaunge for no3t,
Men say the trespas thou hase wrozght.
Byfore thy lorde ne mawes thou make,
zif thou wyll curtasie with the take.
With hondes unwasshen take never thy mete,
ffro alle thes vices loke thou the kepe.
Loke thou sytt and make no stryf,
Where tho est commaundys or ellis tho wyf.
Eschewe the hegest place with wyn,
But thou be beden to sitt therin.
Of curtasie here endis the secunde fyt,
To heven Crist mot oure saules flyt!
DE OFFICIARIIS IN CURIIS DOMORUM.
Now speke we wylle of officiers
Of court, and als of her mestiers.
ffoure men ther be that zerdis schall bere, Porter, marshalle, stuarde, usshere;
The porter schalle have the lengest wande,
The marshalle a shorter schalle have in hande;
The ussher of chamber smallest schalle have,
The stuarde in honde schalle have a stafe,
A fyngur gret, two wharters long,
To reule the menne of court ymong.
THE porter falle to kepe tho zate,
The stokkes with hym erly and late;
zif any manne hase in court mysgayne,
To porter-warde he schall be tane,
Ther to abyde the lordes wylle,
What he wille deme by ryztwys skylle.
ffor wesselle clothes, that no3t be solde,
The porter hase that warde in holde.
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