þis yong{e} mañ frayned[7] / w{i}t{h} hoom þ{a}t he wo{n}ned þañ, “So god me socour{e},” he said / “Sir, y serue myself / & els nooñ oþ{er} mañ.” “is þy gou{er}naunce good?” y said, / “soñ, say me ȝiff þow cañ.” “y wold y wer{e} owt of þis world” / seid he / “y ne rouȝt how sone whañ.” 28 [Sidenote: ‘Good son, despair is sin; tell me what the matter is. When the pain is greatest the cure is nearest!’] “Sey nought so, good soñ, bewar{e} / me thynketh{e} þow menyst amysse; for god forbedith{e} wanhope, for þat a horrible synne ys, þerfor{e} Soñ, opeñ thyñ hert / for p{er}aveñtur{e} y cowd the lis[8]; “wheñ bale is hext / þañ bote is next” / good sone, lerne well{e} þis.” 32 [Sidenote: ‘Sir, I’ve tried everywhere for a master; but because I know nothing, no one will take me.’] “In certeyñ, sir / y haue y-sought / Ferr{e} & ner{e} many a wilsom way to gete mete[9] a mastir; & for y cowd nouȝt / eu{er}y mañ seid me nay, y cowd no good, ne nooñ y shewd{e} / wher{e} eu{er} y ede day by day but wantouñ & nyce, recheles & lewd{e} / as Iangelyng{e} as a Iay.” 36 [Sidenote: ‘Will you learn if I’ll teach you? What do you want to be?’] ++“Now, son, ȝiff y the teche, wiltow any thyng{e} ler{e}? [Fol. 171b.] wiltow be a s{er}uaunde, plowȝmañ, or a laborer{e}, Courtyour or a clark / Marchaund / or masou{n}, or an artificer{e}, Chamburlayn, or buttiller{e} / panter{e} or karver{e}?” 40 [Sidenote: ‘A Butler, Sir, Panter, Chamberlain, and Carver. Teach me the duties of these.’] ++“The office of buttiler, sir, trewly / panter{e} or chamburlayne, The connyng{e} of a kerver{e}, specially / of þat y wold lerne fayne all{e} þese co{n}nyng{es} to haue / y say yow in certayñ, y shuld pray for your{e} sowle nevyr to come in payne.” 44 [Headnote: THE DUTIES OF THE PANTER OR BUTLER.] [Sidenote: ‘I will, if you’ll love God and be true to your master.’] ++“Son, y shall{e} teche þe with{e} ryght a good will{e}, So þat þow loue god & drede / for þat is ryght and skyll{e}, and to þy mastir be trew / his good{es} þat þow not spill{e}, but hym loue & drede / and hys co{m}maundementȝ dew / fulfylle. 48 [Sidenote: A Panter or Butler must have three knives: 1 to chop loaves, 1 to pare them, 1 to smooth the trenchers.] The furst yer{e}, my soñ, þow shall{e} be panter{e} or buttilar{e}, þow must haue iij. knyffes kene / in pantry, y sey the, eu{er}mar{e}: Oñ knyfe þe loves to choppe, another{e} them for to pare, the iij. sharpe & kene to smothe þe trenchurs and squar{e}.[10] 52