Of strangers also that comen to court,
Tho porter schall warne ther at a worde.
Lyveray he hase of mete and drynke,
And setts with hym whoso hym thynke.
When so ever tho lorde remewe schalle
To castell til other as hit may falle,
ffor cariage the porter hors schall hyre,
ffoure pens a pece within tho schyre;
Be statut he schalle take that on the day,
That is the kynges crye in faye.
DE MARESCALLO AULE.
Now of marschalle of halle wylle I spelle,
And what falle to hys offyce now wylle y telle; 380
In absence of stuarde he shalle arest
Whosoever is rebelle in court or fest;
30mon, usshere, and grome also,
Undur hym ar thes two:
Tho grome for fuelle that schalle brenne
In halle, chambur, to kechyn, as I the kenne,
He shalle delyver hit ilke a dele,
In halle make fyre at yche a mele;
Borde, trestuls, and formes also,
The cupborde in his warde schalle go,
The dosurs cortines to henge in halle,
Thes offices nede do he schalle;
Bryng in fyre on Alhalawgh day,
To Candulmas even, I dar welle say.
PER QUANTUM TEMPUS ARMIGERI HABENT LIBERATAM ET IGNIS ARDEBIT IN AULA.
So longe squiers lyverés shalle hafe,
of halle or ellis his knafe;
But fyre shalle brenne in halle at mete,
To cena Domini that men hase ete;
Ther browst schalle be a holyn kene,
That sett schalle be in erber grene,
And that schalle be to Alhalawgh day,
And of be skyfted, as y the say.
In halle marshalle alle men schalle sett
After here degré, withouten lett.
DE PINCERNARIO, PANETARIO, ET COCIS SIBI
SERVIENTIBUS.
THE botelar, pantrer, and cokes also,
To hym ar servauntes withouten mo;
Therfore on his 3erde skore schalle he
Alle messys in halle that servet be,
Commaunde to sett bothe brede and ale
To alle men that servet ben in sale;
To gentilmen with wyne i-bake,
Ellis fayles tho service, y undertake;
Iche messe at vjd. brene shalle be,
At the countyng house with other mené;
Yf tho koke wolde say that were more,
That is tho cause that he hase hit in skore.
The panter also yf he wolde stryfe,
ffor rewarde that sett schalle be be-lyve.
Whenne brede faylys at borde aboute,
The marshalle gares sett withouten doute
More brede, that calde is a rewarde,
So shalle hit be prevet before stuarde.
DE OFFICIO PINCERNARII.
BOTLER shalle sett for yche a messe
A pot, a lofe, withouten distresse;
Botler, pantrer, felawes ar ay,
Reken hom togedur fulle wel y may.
The marshalle shalle herber alle men in fere,
That ben of court of any mestere;
Save the lordys chambur, tho wadrop to,
Tho ussher of chambur schalle tent tho two.
DE HOSTIARIO ET SUIS SERVIENTIBUS.
SPEKE I wylle a lytulle qwyle
Of ussher of chambur, withouten gyle.
This gentylmen, 30mon, ussher also,
Two gromes at tho lest, a page therto.
DE OFFICIO GARCIONUM.
GROMES palettes shyn fyle and make litere, ix. fote on lengthe without diswere;
vij. fote y-wys hit shalle be brode,
Wele watered, i-wrythen, be craft y-trode.
Wyspes drawen out at fete and syde,
Wele wrethyn and turnyd azayne that tyde.
On legh unsonken hit shalle be made,
To tho gurdyl-stode hegh on lengthe and brade;
ffor lordys two beddys schalle be made,
Bothe utter and inner, so God me glade!
That henget shalle be with hole sylour,
With crochettes and loupys sett on lyour;
Tho valance on fylour shalle henge with wyn,
iij. curteyns strezt drawen withinne,
That reche schalle even to grounde aboute,
Nother more, nother lesse, withouten doute;
He strykes hom up with forket wande,
And lappes up fast aboute the lyft hande.
Tho knop up turnes and closes on ryzt,
As bolde by nek that henges fulle lyzt.
Tho counturpynt he lays on beddys fete,
Qwysshenes on sydes shyn lye fulle mete.
Tapetes of Spayne on flore by syde,
That sprad shyn be for pompe and pryde;
Tho chambur sydes ryzt to tho dore,
He henges with tapetes that ben fulle store;
And fuel to chymné hym falle to gete,
And streves in clof to y-save tho hete.
ffro tho lorde at mete when he is sett,
Borde, trestuls, and fourmes, withouten let;
Alle thes thynges kepe schalle he,
And water in chafer for laydyes fre;
iij. perchers of wax then shalle he fet,
Above tho chymné yt be sett,
In syce ichone from other shalle be
The lenghthe of other that men may se,
To brenne, to voide, that dronkyn is,
Other ellis I wote he dose amys.
Tho ussher alleway shalle sitt at dore
At mete, and walke schalle on the flore,
To se that alle be servet on ryzt,
That is his office be day and nyzt;
And byd set borde when tyme schalle be,
And take hom up when tyme ses he.
The wardrop he herbers and eke of chambur
Ladyes with bedys of coralle and lambur,
Tho usshere schalle bydde tho wardropere
Make redy for alle ny3t before the fere;
Then brynges he forthe ny3t-gone also,
And spredys a tapet and qwysshens two,
He layes hom then opon a fourme,
And foteshete theron and hit returne.
Tho lorde schalle skyft hys gowne at nyzt,
Syttand on foteshete tyl he be dyzt.
Then ussher gose to tho botré,
"Have in for alle ny3t, syr," says he;
ffyrst to the chaundeler he schalle go,
To take a tortes lyzt hym fro;
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