URBANITATIS[36]

WHOSO will of nurture know,Hark to me and I will show.When you come before a lord,In hall, in bower, or at board,You must doff or cap or hood,Ere before him you have stood.Twice or thrice beyond a doubt,Before your sovereign must you lout[37];On the right knee bend you low;For your own sake do ye so.Hold your cap, forbear to don,Till you’re told to put it on.All the while you speak with him,Fair and lovely hold up your chin.As bids the nurture of the book,In his face straight shall you look.Keep your hands still and your feet;To claw or trip it is not meet.[38]────────────────When into the hall you wend,Among the gentles, good and hend[39]Press not up high for any thing,For noble blood or wit cunning.Neither sit ye, neither lean,For this is neither good nor clean.Let not your countenance abate,[40]For good nurture will save your state.If father, mother be right naught,Happy the child that is well taught.In hall, in chamber, mind you then:Good manners always make good men.[41]Look wisely to your betters ay,Do them reverence as you may;But do ye none, sit all in row,Unless ye them for betters know.When you are set before the meat,Fair and honestly it eat.First, look ye that your hands be clean,And that your knife be sharp and keen;Then cut your bread and all your meat,Even when you set to eat.If you sit by a worthier manThan ye yourself well reckon can,Suffer him first and do not let[42]That he before you meat should get.For the best piece do not strike[43]Though you never so well it like.Also keep your hands full well,Not to ’file[44]the fair towél.Nor wipe your nose upon the cloth;To pick your teeth at meat be loth.Nor in the cup too deeply sink,Though ye have good will to drink,Lest your eyen water thereby;For then it is no courtesy.Look in your mouth there be no meat,When you begin to drink or speak.And when you see a man would drink,Who heeds your carping,[45]you bethink,And soon anon make end your tale,Whether he drink wine or ale.And look, ye scorn no man also,In what degree ye see him go.No man shall ye reprove or chide,If ye in worship[46]would abide.For words ye might speak out apace—Should make you live in evil case.Close your hand upon your fist,[47]And keep you well from “Had I wist[48]—”In chamber among the ladies bright,Keep your tongue and spend your sight.Laugh not too loud with great outcry;Neither rage with ribaldry.Play with none but with your peer,And tell not all the tales you hear.Discover[49]not your own [good] deed,Neither for mirth, nor yet for meed.[50]Gentle of speech—ye have your will;But foul of speech—ye fare full ill.If ye follow a worthier man,Than ye yourself well reckon can,Let your right shoulder follow his back,[51]For that is nurture ye must not lack.When he speaks, then hold you still;When he has done, say then your will.Be careful what you say or tell,And in your speech advise you well.Bereave[52]ye no man of his tale,Neither at wine nor at ale.Now may Christ of his sweet grace,Give us all both wit and spaceThis [treatise] well to know and read,And Heaven at last to have for meed.Amen, Amen, so may it be.So say we all for charity!Explicit Tractus Urbanitatis.

WHOSO will of nurture know,

Hark to me and I will show.

When you come before a lord,

In hall, in bower, or at board,

You must doff or cap or hood,

Ere before him you have stood.

Twice or thrice beyond a doubt,

Before your sovereign must you lout[37];

On the right knee bend you low;

For your own sake do ye so.

Hold your cap, forbear to don,

Till you’re told to put it on.

All the while you speak with him,

Fair and lovely hold up your chin.

As bids the nurture of the book,

In his face straight shall you look.

Keep your hands still and your feet;

To claw or trip it is not meet.[38]

────────────────

When into the hall you wend,Among the gentles, good and hend[39]Press not up high for any thing,For noble blood or wit cunning.Neither sit ye, neither lean,For this is neither good nor clean.Let not your countenance abate,[40]For good nurture will save your state.If father, mother be right naught,Happy the child that is well taught.In hall, in chamber, mind you then:Good manners always make good men.[41]Look wisely to your betters ay,Do them reverence as you may;But do ye none, sit all in row,Unless ye them for betters know.When you are set before the meat,Fair and honestly it eat.First, look ye that your hands be clean,And that your knife be sharp and keen;Then cut your bread and all your meat,Even when you set to eat.If you sit by a worthier manThan ye yourself well reckon can,Suffer him first and do not let[42]That he before you meat should get.For the best piece do not strike[43]Though you never so well it like.Also keep your hands full well,Not to ’file[44]the fair towél.Nor wipe your nose upon the cloth;To pick your teeth at meat be loth.Nor in the cup too deeply sink,Though ye have good will to drink,Lest your eyen water thereby;For then it is no courtesy.Look in your mouth there be no meat,When you begin to drink or speak.And when you see a man would drink,Who heeds your carping,[45]you bethink,And soon anon make end your tale,Whether he drink wine or ale.And look, ye scorn no man also,In what degree ye see him go.No man shall ye reprove or chide,If ye in worship[46]would abide.For words ye might speak out apace—Should make you live in evil case.Close your hand upon your fist,[47]And keep you well from “Had I wist[48]—”In chamber among the ladies bright,Keep your tongue and spend your sight.Laugh not too loud with great outcry;Neither rage with ribaldry.Play with none but with your peer,And tell not all the tales you hear.Discover[49]not your own [good] deed,Neither for mirth, nor yet for meed.[50]Gentle of speech—ye have your will;But foul of speech—ye fare full ill.If ye follow a worthier man,Than ye yourself well reckon can,Let your right shoulder follow his back,[51]For that is nurture ye must not lack.When he speaks, then hold you still;When he has done, say then your will.Be careful what you say or tell,And in your speech advise you well.Bereave[52]ye no man of his tale,Neither at wine nor at ale.Now may Christ of his sweet grace,Give us all both wit and spaceThis [treatise] well to know and read,And Heaven at last to have for meed.Amen, Amen, so may it be.So say we all for charity!

When into the hall you wend,

Among the gentles, good and hend[39]

Press not up high for any thing,

For noble blood or wit cunning.

Neither sit ye, neither lean,

For this is neither good nor clean.

Let not your countenance abate,[40]

For good nurture will save your state.

If father, mother be right naught,

Happy the child that is well taught.

In hall, in chamber, mind you then:

Good manners always make good men.[41]

Look wisely to your betters ay,

Do them reverence as you may;

But do ye none, sit all in row,

Unless ye them for betters know.

When you are set before the meat,

Fair and honestly it eat.

First, look ye that your hands be clean,

And that your knife be sharp and keen;

Then cut your bread and all your meat,

Even when you set to eat.

If you sit by a worthier man

Than ye yourself well reckon can,

Suffer him first and do not let[42]

That he before you meat should get.

For the best piece do not strike[43]

Though you never so well it like.

Also keep your hands full well,

Not to ’file[44]the fair towél.

Nor wipe your nose upon the cloth;

To pick your teeth at meat be loth.

Nor in the cup too deeply sink,

Though ye have good will to drink,

Lest your eyen water thereby;

For then it is no courtesy.

Look in your mouth there be no meat,

When you begin to drink or speak.

And when you see a man would drink,

Who heeds your carping,[45]you bethink,

And soon anon make end your tale,

Whether he drink wine or ale.

And look, ye scorn no man also,

In what degree ye see him go.

No man shall ye reprove or chide,

If ye in worship[46]would abide.

For words ye might speak out apace—

Should make you live in evil case.

Close your hand upon your fist,[47]

And keep you well from “Had I wist[48]—”

In chamber among the ladies bright,

Keep your tongue and spend your sight.

Laugh not too loud with great outcry;

Neither rage with ribaldry.

Play with none but with your peer,

And tell not all the tales you hear.

Discover[49]not your own [good] deed,

Neither for mirth, nor yet for meed.[50]

Gentle of speech—ye have your will;

But foul of speech—ye fare full ill.

If ye follow a worthier man,

Than ye yourself well reckon can,

Let your right shoulder follow his back,[51]

For that is nurture ye must not lack.

When he speaks, then hold you still;

When he has done, say then your will.

Be careful what you say or tell,

And in your speech advise you well.

Bereave[52]ye no man of his tale,

Neither at wine nor at ale.

Now may Christ of his sweet grace,

Give us all both wit and space

This [treatise] well to know and read,

And Heaven at last to have for meed.

Amen, Amen, so may it be.

So say we all for charity!

Explicit Tractus Urbanitatis.

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