Education -- Early works to 1800; England -- Social life and customs -- Early works to 1800; Etiquette; Home economics -- Early works to 1800; Table
¶ Þo valance on fylour[26] shall{e} henge w{i}t{h} wy{n},
iij curteyns streȝt drawen w{i}t{h}-inne, 448
Þ{a}t reche schall{e} euen to grounde a-boute,
Noþ{er} mor{e}, noþ{er} lesse, w{i}t{h}-oute{n} doute;
He strykes hom vp w{i}t{h} forket wande,
And lappes vp fast a-boute þe lyft hande; 452
Þo knop vp turnes, and closes on ryȝt,
¶ As bolde by nek þ{a}t henges full{e} lyȝt. [Fol. 20.]
Þo count{ur}pynt he lays on beddys fete,
Qwysshenes on sydes shyn lye full{e} mete. 456
Tapet{is}[27] of spayne on flor{e} by syde,
Þ{a}t sprad shyn be for pompe and pryde;
Þo chambur sydes ryȝt to þo dor{e},
He henges w{i}t{h} tapet{is} þ{a}t ben full{e} stor{e}; 460
And fuel to chymné hym fall{e} to gete,
And screnes in clof to y-saue þo hete
Fro þo lorde at mete when he is sett;
Borde, trestuls, and fourmes, w{i}t{h}-oute{n} let, 464
¶ Alle thes þynges kepe schall{e} he,
And wat{er} in chafer for laydyes fre;
iij p{er}chers of wax þen shall{e} he fet,
A-boue þo chymné þ{a}t be sett 468
In syce[28]; ichoñ from oþ{er} shall{e} be
Þe lenghthe of oþ{er} þ{a}t me{n} may se,[[28a]]
To brenne, to voide, þ{a}t dronkyn is,
Oþ{er} ellis I wote he dose Amys. 472
Þo vssher alle-way shall{e} sitt at dor{e}
At mete, and walke schall{e} on þe flor{e},
To se þat all{e} be s{er}uet on ryȝt,
Þat is his office be day {and} nyȝt, 476
And byd set borde when tyme schall{e} be,
And take hom vp when tyme ses he.
¶ The wardrop[29] he herbers and eke of chamb{ur}
Ladyes w{i}t{h} bedys of corall{e} and lamb{ur}, 480
Þo vsshere schall{e} bydde þo wardroper{e}
Make redy for all{e} nyȝt be-for{e} þe fere;
Þen bryng{is} he forthe nyȝt gou{n} also,
And spredys a tapet and qwysshens two, 484
He layes hom þen opon a fourme,
And foteshete þ{er}-on {and} hit returne.
¶ Þo lorde schall{e} skyft hys gowñ at nyȝt,
Syttand on foteshete tyl he be dyȝt. 488
Þen vssher gose to þo botré,
“Haue in for all{e} nyȝt, syr,” says he;
Fyrst to þe chaundeler he schall{e} go,
To take a tortes lyȝt hym fro; 492
¶ Bothe wyne and ale he tase indede,
Þo botler says, w{i}t{h}-outen drede,
No mete for mo{n} schall{e} sayed[30] be,
Bot for kynge or prynce or duke so fre; 496
For heiers of paraunce also y-wys,
Mete shall{e} be sayed, now thenkys on this.
Þen to pantré he hyȝes be-lyue,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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