Education -- Early works to 1800; England -- Social life and customs -- Early works to 1800; Etiquette; Home economics -- Early works to 1800; Table
Prynce or p{re}late if hit be, or any oþ{er} potestate,
or he entur in to þe church{e}, be it erly or late, 916
p{er}ceue all þyng{e} for his pewe þ{a}t it be made p{re}p{ar}ate,
boþe cosshyñ / carpet / & curteyñ /
bed{es} & boke, forgete not that.
[Sidenote: Return to his bedroom, throw off the clothes, beat the
featherbed, see that the fustian and sheets are clean.]
++Thañ to your{e} sou{er}eynes chambur walke ye in hast;
all þe cloþes of þe bed, them aside ye cast; 920
þe Fethurbed ye bete / w{i}t{h}out hurt, so no feddurs ye wast,
Fustiañ[243] and shetis clene by sight and sans ye tast.
[Sidenote: Cover the bed with a coverlet, spread out the bench
covers and cushions, set up the headsheet and pillow, remove the
urinal and basin,]
Kover w{i}t{h} a keu{er}lyte clenly / þat bed so man{er}ly made;
þe bankers & quosshyns, in þe chambur se þem̅ feir{e} y-sprad, 924
boþe hedshete & pillow also, þat þe[y] be saaff vp stad,
the vrnell{e} & basoñ also that they awey be had.
[Sidenote: lay carpets round the bed, and with others dress the
windows and cupboard, have a fire laid.]
Se the carpett{is} about þe bed
be forth spred & laid, [Fol. 185.]
wyndowes & cuppeborde w{i}t{h} carpett{is} & cosshyns splayd; 928
Se þer be a good fyr{e} in þe chambur conveyed,
w{i}t{h} wood & fuell{e} redy þe fuyr{e} to bete & aide.
[Sidenote: Keep the Privy sweet and clean, cover the boards with
green cloth, so that no wood shows at the hole; put a cushion
there,]
++Se þe privehouse for esement[244] be fayr{e}, soote, & clene,
& þat þe bord{es} þ{er} vppoñ /
be keu{er}ed with{e} clothe feyr{e} & grene, 932
& þe hool{e} / hym self, looke þer no borde be sene,
þ{er}oñ a feir{e} quoschyñ / þe ordour{e} no mañ to tene
[Sidenote: and have some blanket, cotton, or linen to wipe on;
have a basin, jug, and towel, ready for your lord to wash when he
leaves the privy.]
looke þ{er} be blanket / cotyñ /
or lynyñ to wipe þe neþ{ur} ende[245];
and eu{er} wheñ he clepith{e}, wayte redy & entende, 936
basou{n} and ewer{e}, & oñ yo{ur} shuldur a towell{e},
my frende[246];
In þis wise worship shall{e} ye wyñ /
wher{e} þ{a}t eu{er} ye wende
[Headnote: THE CHAMBERLAIN IN THE WARDEROBES.]
The warderober.[247]
[Sidenote: In the Wardrobe take care to keep the clothes well,]
++In þe warderobe ye must muche entende besily
the robes to kepe well / & also to brusche þem̅ clenly; 940
w{i}t{h} the ende of a soft brusch{e} ye brusch{e} þem clenly,
and yet ou{er} moche bruschyng{e} wereth{e} cloth lyghtly.
[Sidenote: and brush ’em with a soft brush at least once a week,
for fear of moths. Look after your Drapery and Skinnery.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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