Education -- Early works to 1800; England -- Social life and customs -- Early works to 1800; Etiquette; Home economics -- Early works to 1800; Table
lett neu{er} wollyñ cloth ne furr{e} passe a seuenyght
to be vnbrossheñ & shakyñ / tend þ{er}to aright, 944
for mought{es} be redy eu{er} in þem to gendur & aliȝt;
þerfore to drapery / & skynn{er}y eu{er} haue ye a sight.
[Sidenote: If your lord will take a nap after his meal, have ready
kerchief, comb, pillow and headsheet]
your{e} souerayñ aftir mete / his stomak to digest
yef he will{e} take a slepe / hym self þer{e} for to rest, 948
looke bothe kercheff & combe / þat ye haue þer{e} prest,
bothe pillow & hedshete / for hym̅ þe[y] must be drest;
[Sidenote: (don’t let him sleep too long), water and towel.]
yet be ye nott ferr{e} hym fro, take tent what y say,
For moche slepe is not medcynable in myddis of þe day. 952
wayte þat ye haue watur to wasch{e} / & towell{e} all{e} way
aftur slepe and sege / honeste will not hit denay.
[Headnote: TO PUT A LORD TO BED.]
[Sidenote: When he goes to bed, 1. Spread out the footsheet,
2. Take off your lord’s Robe and put it away.]
++Whañ your{e} sou{er}ayne hath{e} supped /
& to chamb{ur} takith{e} his gate,
þañ sprede forth{e} your{e} fote shete /
like as y lered yow late; 956
thañ his gowne ye gadir of, or garment of his estate,
by his licence / & ley hit vpp in suche place as ye best wate.
[Sidenote: 3. Put a cloak on his back, 4. Set him on his
footsheet, 5. Pull off his shoes, socks, and breeches, 6. Throw
the breeches over your arm,]
vppoñ his bak a ma{n}tell ye ley / his body to kepe from cold,
Set hym̅ oñ his fote shete[248] / made redy as y yow told; 960
his shoñ, sokkis, & hosyñ / to draw of be ye bolde;
þe hosyñ oñ your{e} shuldyr cast /
oñ vppoñ yo{ur} arme ye hold; [Fol. 185b.]
[Sidenote: 7. Comb his head, 8. Put on his kerchief and nightcap,
9. Have the bed, and headsheet, &c., ready,]
your{e} sou{er}eynes hed ye kembe / but furst ye knele to ground;
þe kercheff and cappe oñ his hed / hit wolde be warmely wounde; 964
his bed / y-spred / þe shete for þe hed /
þe pelow prest þ{a}t stounde,
þat wheñ your{e} sou{er}eyñ to bed shall go /
to slepe þer{e} saaf & sounde,
[Sidenote: 10. Draw the curtains, 11. Set the night-light,
12. Drive out dogs and cats, 13. Bow to your lord,]
The curteyns let draw þem̅ þe bed round about;
se his morter[249] w{i}t{h} wax or p{er}cher{e}[250]
þat it go not owt; 968
dryve out dogge[[250a]] and catte, or els geue þem̅ a clovt;
Of your{e} sou{er}ayne take no leue[251]; /
but low to hym̅ alowt.
[Sidenote: 14. Keep the night-stool and urinal ready for whenever
he calls, and take it back when done with.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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