Modestye and simplicite is required to be in yonge chyldren.

IT is necessary that in all thynge man be bothe of mynd, of body, of gesture and of raymente & vp­right, but specialy handsom, modest & simplicite becommeth yonge children, and among them and aboue, all other noble infants and chyldren. But they must be estemed more noble y ^e adurne theyr spirites wyth liberall studies, then they which paynte in theyr scut­shons [Page]Lyons, Egles, Bulles and Liberds, they haue more true nobilitie in that place of so great blasynge and armes maye take so much of the armes of no­bilitie, as they haue receyued and ler­ned of liberall artes.

The orberynge of the eyes.

TO the intente than that the sprite and mynde of the chylde well lerned maye shine on eue­ry syde (it thyneth and is sene principally in the face and visage) his eyes must nedes be sweete & peasable, shamefast and restfull, and not lifted vp or ouertwhart, the which is a signe of cruelnes, nor vage, nor fearefull, the whyche is a sygne of folly, and a faulte of the brayne, nor squinrynge, nor blinekynge, the whyche appertain to them whych are suspected and frau­dulently go about some treson, nor to muche open and enlarged, the whyche appertainch to dullardes & fooles, nor oftentymes twynkling, whych pertay­neth to those y ^t be inconstant, not wan­dering [Page]hether and thether, the whych pertain to the astonied, for this was noted and blamed in Socrates, nor to sharpe, the whych is a sygne of anger, nor assygninge, and as it were apoin­tynge and spekinge, the whyche is a signe of vnchastity, but declaring a certein quiet, temperat and amiable sprit wyth all reuerence: and truly yt was not yll saide of the aunciente philose­phers, that the eyes be the lease of the soule. The auncient painters do de­clare vnto vs, that in tymes past it was a singuler modestie to beholde the eyes halfe closed, as amonge certein Spanyardes, it is reputed gracious & an amiable thinge to loke the eyes be­yng abased and inclined. Like wise we learne by the forsaid paynters, that it was longe sense a signe of a wise man to draw in and to close the lippes, but that that is cumly of nature, shalbe es­temed goodly and honest before al peo­ple, not wyth standinge that in these things we must sumtimes be like vnto fyshes, the whiche dooe chaunge their couler after the thing they recounter [Page]and meete wyth all, so must we apply our self after the custome of the coun­trey. There are beside these other coū ­trey. There are beside these other coū ­tenaunces of the eyes that nature hath geuen to some after one sorte, and to other after another sorte, the whyche fall not vnder oure precepts, but that the euyl gestures ofentimes do marre, not only the countenance and order of the eyes, but also of the hole body.

Contrary wise the gestures whyche are righte and conuenient causeth that thynge that is semely by nature to be more comely & decent, & that whych is vicious, yf they take them not away, wyll couer and diminishe them. It is nothyng beautifull to behold any man with one eye, for what other thing is that, but to make hym selfe one eyed. Let vs leue this gesture to the hūnes a people so called, & to shoters, in crosse-bowes, and to many other artificers.

Streyght browes.

THe Browes ought to be streight and not drawne bakwards, the whyche is a signe of pride, nor exalted, the whiche is a signe of arro­gancy: [Page]no hanginge vpon his eyes, the which pertaineth to dreamers and to those that thinke euyll.

A ioyfull and mery forehed.

FOrther more let the forehed be ioyfull & full, shewinge a good and mery chere, not wrincled & reuen, the whiche pertaineth to age, not cumminge and goinge, for that pertaineth to hedge hogges, not ouer­thwarte and rughe, which thinge per­taineth to bulles.

A clene nose.

THat there be no sneuill in the Nose, the whych is a signe of a foule filthy people, and Socra­tes the Philosopher was blamid for this vice, to wipe his nose with his bo­net if he haue one, or vpon his gowne is a rustical and a rude thing: to wipe his nose with his arme or elbowe, per­taineth to fyshmongers, nor it is not more manierly to doo the same with [Page]his hand, if by and by thou make clene thy fingers vpon thy gowne. To re­ceiue y ^e filthines of y ^e nostrilles with an handkercher, is honeste, and likewise to turne the body a litle if there be any honest men there, yf ther be any thing vpō the groūd after he hath wiped his nose with two fingers, he must trede vpon it.

To blowe wyth the nose and to snorce.

TO blow lowde with the nostrel­les is a filthy thing, and a signe of color, and yet more filthy to snorte, the which pertaineth to those that be furious and withoute vnder­standinge, yf they doo it customably, for they must be pardoned that haue a high brethe, and do brethe with great difficultie. To speake in the nose is a thinge that men mocke at, and it per­taineth to Storkes and Elephantes. To shrinke vp the nose pertaineth to mockers, and to those that playe the storke backwardes.

To Nese.

IF it chaunse that thou must nese in the presence of sum man, it is a point of ciuilite to turn thy self a litle, and incontinente after that the violence shalbe appeased, to make the signe of the crosse vpon thy mouthe, & afterwardes puttinge of thy bonet to salute thē y ^t saluted thee, or thē y ^t saide, Christe helpe. For why to nese as to yawne, doth wholy take away y ^e hea­ring of y ^e eares. And afterwards to de­syre & pray them not to be displeased, or els to geue them great thankes.

¶ To saye God saue you when men neese.

IT is a deuoute thing to say god saue the mā whan he neseth. If men doe it in the presence of dy­uers aged menne the whiche say vnto some honorable man or woman, God saue you the childe ought to put of his cappe.

[Page] Forther more to enforce him selfe to nese more lowder or to duble it to shew his force and strengthe, pertaineth to those that be glorious: and to retaine the sowne y ^t nature geueth, partaineth to folishe and vnapte people, the which praise ciuilitie more than helthe.

Shamefast Chekes.

THat the chekes be died with a certain natural shamefastnes & with suche as is meete and con­uenient for a noble infant w ^tout pain­tinge or false coleringe, but yet he must so temper it that it turne not in to great assuance or boldenes, nor that it bring not a certaine astonishemente and dulnes, and as the cōmen prouerb doeth saye. The fourthe degre of foly. For some haue this nature so strōgly emprented that it maketh them like to a parson or mā that ruleth. This vice is or may be moderate yf the childe do accustome him self to lyue with men y ^t be elder thē him self, and if he exercise him self to play enterludes & comedies. [Page]To cause the chekes to swell, is a signe of arrogance, and to cause them to faul and swage, dothe pertaine to him that disconfort him self, or is disconfort, the one doth declare that the man is glori­ous & proude, y ^t other y ^t he is a traiter.

The mouth close.

LEt not the mouth be to much shut as his is that fereth to receiue the breth of another, nor y ^t it be open and gaping as foles haue, but that it be close, the lippes kissing ech other swet­lye. It is also a filthy & a vile thinge of­tentimes to put forth the lippes & to do as if thou shouldst cherish a horsse with the tongue, although that this thinge is to be suffred in greate estates, that go thorow the midste of a certaine com­pany of people, for nothing misbecum­meth them, but we do order & teach an infant.

To Yawne.

IF by chaunce thou be enforsed to pawne, nor can not turne the, nor [Page]goe thy waies, thou muste put before thy mouth, either thy napkin, or thy hande, and make the signe of y ^e crosse.

¶ How one should laugh, and how he should not.

TO laugh at all purposes, and at all thinges that we see done, do­eth pertaine to fooles. Contra­rywise, to laugh, at nothing that men doe, doth pertaine to sadde men and to shepish persons. It is an ewil, thing to laughe at vile and dishonest thinges. Morcouer one maner of laughinge, & to make a great laughter that moueth all the bodie, whereof the Greekes cal it al mouing and trauailing is not de­cent nor mete for no age, so than it cā ­not become youth.

It to also a filthy thing whan a mā laugheth to neye like a horse, nor that laughter is not very goodly that eular geth y ^e mouth, & causeth the cheekes as it were to retere, and discouereth the teeth, the which laughter is called the girning of a dogge. No man shall ex­presse [Page]his ioye in suche maner, to the ende that he shew not a dissolute sprit, and that he deforme not his mouthe.

These bee the woordes of fooles, I pisse thorow laughter, I burst thorow laughter, I thought I should haue dy­ed through laughter: or, I sounde tho­row laughter. If anye thing chaunce, where at a man doth so laugh, y ^t it cau­seth hun to eate again y ^t he hath recey­ued, he must couer his face eyther with his napkin, or with his hande. To laugh all alone, or without any euidēt cause, is attributed to foolishnes. But yet if it so chaunce, it shall be ciuilly & well done, to declare the cause where­fore he laughed: or if it be not to be re­ueled, he must finde some thing, to y ^e ende that no man thinke y ^t they mocke hint.

To byte the lyppe.

TO bite the nether lippe is vile & dishonest, for it is the gesture of a man that threatneth, and like­wyse to bite the vpper lippe. And also [Page]to licke the borders of his lyppes is an vncomely thing. To haue the lyppes extended, and as prest and redy to kisse one, hath bene of long time a gracious and a comelye thing amonge the Al­manes, as their paintinges & pictures declare.

Of drawing and putting ouce the toungue.

HE mocketh some manne that draweth out his tonge at him, these snatchers & gapers should vse and do that.

To spitte.

WHan thou spittest turne thy face aside, to thintent thou spit vpon no man. If thou haue caste anye ordure or filthinesse vpon the ground, thou must trede it out with thy fote as I haue saide already, to the ende that it trouble no mans heart nor stomake. If it be not lawfull for to turne thee, receiue and gather thy spittle into thy [Page]handkercher. It is a vile thing to swa­low downe thy spittle, as we dooe see some that spit at euery woorde, not of necessity, but by custom. Furthermore there be som that doe coughe, and that by a vsuall custome, such maner of do­ing doth smel and declare a liar, or one y ^t speaking, doth forge what he should say.

To belche.

OTher at euery worde doe belche with lesse honestie, the whiche thing if it come and drawe to a custome in youthe, it will continue in age. The selfesame must bee iudged of coughing, wherof Clitipho in Terēce was reprehended of a seruant. If thou be constrained to coughe, be ware thou do it not before the mouth or face of a nother, and that there bee not a fonde maner to coughe hier than nature re­quireth.

To vomite.

IF y ^e wilt vomit, turne thy self to soe other place, for why to vomit is not ill of it selfe, but it is a [Page]vile thinge, if gluttonie bee the cause therof.

Cleane teeth.

YOuthe must take hede that theyr teeth be cleane, but to make thē white with pouder, belongeth to maidens, to rub them with salte or a­lem, is euil for the gummes, to do this with his vrine, belongeth to Span­yardes, if any thing remaine betwene thy teethe, thou must not take it out w ^c thy knife, nor with thy nailes, as dogs and cattes doe, nor with thy napkin, but with a tooth piker made of a spin­dle, or with a quill, or with the lyttle bones taken out of y ^e spurres of cockes or capons.

To washe the mouthe.

IT is an honeste thing & a whole­some to washe the mouth in the morninge, with cleane and pure water, but to returne often tymes vn­to it is foolishnes, and vncomelynesse. [Page]Of the vse of the tonge we shal speake in his place.

Of a cleane head.

IT is a rustical and a rude thyng not to be combe: and that ther be a clenlynes, but not a tyremente of maidens. There must be neither lice nor nittes. Often times to scratche the head in the presence of other is a thing not very decēt nor honest: as to scratch the body with the nailes, is a foule & a filthy thyng, and specially if it be done by a custome and not of necessitie.

That the heere fal nor hange not v­pon his eies, nor vpon his shoulders. Oftentimes to couer his bushe by sha­kyng and casting vp of the head, doeth pertain to horses that bee pompeous & proude. With the hande to turne vp y ^t heere from the forehead an hygh, is a thyng not very faire nor comely: but to shede them with the hand is more mo­dest.

An upright bodye.

TO holde down the heade and to lift vp the shoulders, is a signe of slouthfulnes. To bowe backe the body, is a token of arreganey: but to kepe it vpright without enforcemēt is comely. That the head neither hang to the one side nor to the other, for that smelleth of an hipocrite: excepte there be a cause that a man may holde it so, or that some like thing require it. Ye must gouerne and rule your shoulders with a iuste counterpese, and not after the maner of the Atheniens, to holde vp the one, and to let faule the other. For such maner of countenaunces are dispraised in litle children tournynge themselfe into nature, difformynge and defilynge all the bodye contrarye to his nature. And therefore they that of sluggishnesse haue taken a custome to crooke the bodye, shall get a crooked backe and a vice that nature hath not geuen them: and they that haue a cu­stomed to hange the heade on the one syde, shall so harden and geue them to that vse and maner, that whan thei bee greate, they cannot chaunge it. [Page]The tender bodies bee lyke younge plantes, tho whiche growe and ware harde in suche sorte as thou hast bow­ed and drawne them with stake, corde, and bande. To caste the armes be­hinde the backe, betokeneth an ydle persone and a these: nor it is not much better sittinge or standinge to holde or to set one hande vppon his side, the whiche thinge neuerthelesse to some menne semeth faire and goodlye, and to smell of a manne of warre. All that that pleaseth fooles, is not yet honest, but that thynge that is after reasone and nature. The reste shall bee spo­ken whan wee shall come to speake of deuices and purposes, and also of the Table.

Vnhonest members to bee coue­red.

DO discouer wout necesitie, y ^e mē ­bers, vnto the which nature hath geuen shame, oughte to bee euyll to [Page]an honest childe. And whan necessitye constraineth him, he oughte to dooe it with a certaine decent shamefastnesse: ye and that he haue no witnesse to see them. For the Aungels are alwayes present vnto whom shamefast compa­ny and keping of chastity is very grea­ble for yong children. And therfore we muste so muche the lesse suffer other to touch our mēbers, frō y ^t which to turn our eyes, is chastitie and honestie.

To retayne vrine or ventositye.

TO retayne vrine is hurtfull to healthe, but to make it secretely, is a thing that kepeth hym from shame. There be that commaund that a childe should retayne the ventositye of the belly, beholding of his buttocks together, but ceries this is not a point of Ciuilitie to shewe himself gracious and of good maners, and to engender a certain sickenes, yf it bee lawfull to turne away, and beyng al alone to let it goe, and auoide it: otherwyse after [Page]the auncient & olde prouerbe, he muste disguise the so unde by coughyng, they shoulde haue forbidden all this at once not to discharge the belly, consideryng that it is more dangerous to kepe and holde his wynde, than to retayne hys vrine.

Howe one should sit and stande vp­ryghte.

TO sit with the knees open, and caste abrode or holde his legges wyde or crooked, doeth pertayne to those that be braue, and dooe coun­terfaite gentlemen. Whan thou shalt be set, see that thy knees and thy feete be close together, also when thou doest stande, that at the least thei be meane­ly open. Some doe sit after this sorte, that they cause the one legge to hange aboue the knee. Some other stand vp­right, hauing their armes a crosse, and their legges together, the one maner pertaineth to men that be pensyfe: the other to people that be foolyshe, and to [Page]sit castynge one foote vppon the lefte thighe, is the moode and maner of aū ­ciente kynges, but it is reproued.

In Italie certaine menne for honor sake doe laie one foote vppon another, nor they sustayne not themselues but as it were vppon one legge, after the maner of storkes, if this gesture be cō ­uenient for litle children, I know not.

To encline to doe re­uerence and make courtesye.

LIkewise to encline and bowe thy knees after one maner is wel ly­ked, in some countrey, it is mis­lyked, and another in another. Some doe bowe the knees together, and som holde them righte vp: and other some­what crooked. There be that esteme y ^t that maner pertayneth to women: and therfore kepyng their bodies vpright, they firste bowe the right knee, and in­continent after the left, the which ma­ner is praised in the childrē of Englād The Frenche men do bowe onely the [Page]right knee with a certayne swete tur­ning and mouing of the body. In lyke thinges diuersitie hath no repugnance against honestie. It shall be in the wyl of eche one, either to vse the maners of the countrey, or to cleue to the maners of straungers, forasmuche as there bee men, vnto whom the thynges and ma­ners of straungers are most pleasant.

Of goynge.

THat our going be not as it wer broken and fayned, nor to ha­stye: the one pertaineth to softe and effemenate persones, the other to those that be furious and mad. Likewise that it be not wauering frō one side to the other, and therefore let vs leaue it to the menne of warre of Swicherlande, and to those y ^t esteme it a great ornament to weare fethers in their bonets. There are some y ^t haue a foolishe maner of haltyng whan they gooe. Notwithstandynge that wee haue seene Bushoppes that glorifyed in suche maner of goynge.

[Page] To shake the legges when men do syt pertayneth to fooles, as to fyddle and to make a thousande toyes with the handes, is a sygne of an vnsounde and entire vnderstanding.

¶ Of rayment and of the honest forme and fa­cion of the same.

WE haue spoken compendiouslye and briefly of the body. Now we shall speake of the raymente in fewe woordes: because that the raimēt in a maner is the body of the body, and because that thereby a man maye con­iecture, and geue iudgement of the na­ture and qualitie of the spirite & minde of men. Notwithstanding that we can not prescribe nor limit a certayne ma­ner and fashion, because the fortune, ryches, or greate dignitie of euery mā is not like: and that in all nacions lyke thynges are not semely or vnsemelye. Furthermore because the selfe same thynges please not at all times, or dis­please: therfore as in other things, like [Page]wyse in this we must geue somewhat as the prouerbe saith, to the lawe, and to the place. And furthermore wise mē commaunde to serue the tyme, yet ne­uerthelesse in these varieties mē finde a thyng that is of it selfe honest or not honest, as thynges that serue to no vse for the whiche garmentes are made.

¶ Long tayles or traynes in womens gar­mentes.

MEn doe deride and mocke to see women drawe their long tailes after them, and men also be bla­med, whether thei be conueniente and meete for Cardinals and Bushops, let other men iudge.

Shorte gownes.

VEry shorte gownes haue bene euermore vituperated and bla­med, as well in men as in wo­men: for why the seconde vse of gar­mentes is to couer suche partes as can [Page]not honestly be shewed to the eyes of men. It is saide already not to pertain to man, and also to sauer the feminine sepe to be vngyrded: but nowe a dayes it is no rebuke nor vice to no man, be­cause the shamefull partes are couered with the sherte and hosen, although y ^t gowne doth open it selfe, and flyeth a­brode with the winde. For thys cause the garment is vnhonest among al people, the whiche is so shorte, that whan thou stoupeste downe, it couereth not those partes, the whiche men do couer for honor sake.

To Iagge and to cut garmentes.

TO cut & iagge his raiment, thei do it y ^t are out of their wit and mad.

Painted and garded rayment.

TO vse painted and garded raimēt pertaineth to fooles and apes.

Clenlines in ray­ment.

IT muste be then, that there be clē ­lines in rayment after the riches and dignitie of man, and after the coū ­trey and custome: and that the garmēt bee not vituperable to the craftesman, nor settyng forth a molestiousnes and arrogancie.

Modestie in gar­mentes.

TO younge children belongeth a garment that is not curious, so it be without foulnes & filthines

Clenlinesse and honestie in the vse and parte of them.

THere be certain that make redde the borders of their shertes and of their coates with a certain perfume of vrine, or els thei plaister their brestes, and their sleues with a certayn vile couering, and not with playster, but with the sneuil & filthines of their noses, & with y ^e ordure & spittle of their mouth. Sōe ther be whose gown dothe hāge all on one side, vnto other it doth fal backwards vnto y ^e reines of y ^e back [Page]and there bee vnto whom that semeth verye faire and goodlye. So that al the garmentes of the body must be cleane, proper, and well fashioned, likewyse thei must be after the proporcion of the body. If thy parentes haue geuen thee any ioly and semely apparell, beholde it not tourningre thy eyes vnto it, nor make not as though thou were merye and well contente, shewyng it vnto o­ther, for one of these maners pertaine to apes, and the other to pecockes. Let other men looke vpon thee, and bee thou ignoraunt that thou arte in good order. The more that a great mannes riches is, the more is his modestie and humilitie agreable. It is for the poore whom we muste suffer moderatelye to glorifie themselues, to the comforte of their pouertie. But the riche man she­wing foorth the sumptuousnes of hys raiment, doeth reproche other of theyr misery, & purchaseth to himselfe enuy.

¶ Howe he ought to be­haue himselfe in the Churche.

AT all times and as ofte as thou doest come into the churche, dis­couer thy head, and swetely bowyng thy knees, salute Iesus Christe. Loke that thou come into no churche, but with lyke deuocion, thy head be­ing bare, and both thy knees vpon the earth, make thy praier to almightye god disposing al thy body to deuocion, and thinking y ^e god is presēt with in­numerable milions of Aungels. And if he that doth come to speake to a king being in the companye of his nobilitie not discouering hys head, is of all men estemed not onely rude, but out of his wit: what is he that hath his head vn­couered, and his knees vp right there, where the immortall king of kynges, and the geuer of immortalitie is pre­sent with al his celestial spirites, most reuerently about him: nor thou nedest not to care if thou se him not, for other eyes see him, and as certain it is y ^t thei be presēt, as if thou sawest them with thy corporall eyes, for the eyes of faith see more certainly, then the eyes of the fleshe.

¶ Not to walke in the Churche.

ALso it is an vndecent thing and an vnhoneste to walke in the churche, and to counterfeit the Peripatiques, that is to say, A­ristotles scholers, the which wer wont to walke whan thei disputed. Certes y ^t pallas, towne house, porches, haules, and market places are conueniente for a man to walke in, and not the chur­ches, the whiche are dedicated for de­uine sermons, for the sacramentes, & for praiers and oracions.

Beholde and heare the prea­cher diligentlye.

THat the eyes beholde the Prea­cher, and that the eares be attē ­tiue, that the minde and y ^e heart take hede with greate desire and affec­cion, and with reuerence not although thou diddest heare a man, but god spe­king vnto thee by the mouth of a man.

Whan one should stande upright or knele in the communion tyme.

WHan any man doth rede or singe the ghospell, stande vp, & yf thou maist, hearken vnto it deuoutly. Whan thei singe the Simbole, that is to saie, Credo in vnum deum. &c. the Crede, and at these woordes, et homo factus est, he was made man, kneele downe, humbling thy selfe at the least in this point, for the honor of him that being aboue all the heauens, hath a­based himself vnto y ^e earth for thy sal­uacion. Whan all thy body is disposed to deuocion, turne thy face, & thy heart to god.

An vndecent maner of knelyng.

TO touch, the grounde with one knee and to holde the other vp­right, vpon the whiche the lefte arme doth reste, is the gesture & coun­tenaunce of an euyl man of warre, the which mocking our Lorde, said: I sa­lute thee king of the Iewes.

[Page] Therfore set downe both thy knees, & somewhat abase all the reste of thy bo­dy with a certaine veneracion and fa­shion of honor.

¶ What he should doe in the churche whan there is no communion.

AL the residue of time, either rede somewhat oute of some booke of praiers, or els of holye Scrip­ture, or els that thy spirit be thinking or contemplating vpon some celestiall thing, or vpon god.

¶ Neyther to bable nor to turne thyne eyes hether and the­ther in the churche.

TO bable or then to deuise wyth him that sitteth by thee, dooeth pertaine to those that beleue not that god is present. To cast & to turne the eyes hether and thether, doth per­tayne to those that be out of their wyt. Esteme that thou art gone to y ^e church [Page]in vain, if thou returne not frō thence better, more pure and cleane.

¶ Of the Table and howe a childe oughte to vse and behaue hymselfe.

FIrst or euer thou sit down at the Table wash thy handes, & pare thy nailes. At the Table thou muste shewe a certaine cherefulnes, to auoid dissolute babling. Sit not doune vntill thou haue washte, and that thy nayles be first pared, lest there remayn any filthines, and lesse thou bee called extreme filthy and proud.

¶ To make water or e­uer he sytte down.

HE muste before he sitte downe make water, or discharge hys belly if y ^e thing require it. And if peraduenture it chance that thou be to much pressed it shalbe wel done first to vnlose thy poyntes, because y ^t thou shouldest dooe it with lesse honestye at [Page]the Table.

To bee ioyfull and mery at the table.

AND wiping thy handes, caste by and by awan all molestious­nes and heauinesse that thou hast in thy hearte, for thou muste not bee heauie at the Table, nor make none o­ther man sad nor heauie.

To blesse and saye grace and how.

IF anye manne commaunde thee to saye grace, prepare thy face & thy handes to deuocion, lokynge vpon the most honest mā of y ^e assistēce, and naming Iesus bowe thy knee, yf this bee geuen and appointed to ano­ther, hearken and aunswere with like deuocion.

Humilitie at the Table.

GEne quietly the highest rowme to another, and beeing inuited to ascende more higher, humbly excuse thy selfe: but if any man of auc­thoritie doe diuers times and in good earneste cōmande thee, obey him with shamefastnesse, to the ende that thou seme not to be opinatiue in place to be eiuill and well manerd.

The countenaunce of armes & handes.

BEyng sette holde both thy han­des vpon the Table, not ioyned together, nor vpon thy trencher: for there are some that foolish lye dooe holde the one or bothe in their bosom. To leane with one elbow or with both vpon the Table, is graunted to those that throughe age and sickenes are fe­ble: and thou muste dissemble the like, but not folow in this certaine delicate courchers, the whiche do thynke, that all that thei doe becommeth them. In the meane whyle thou muste take hede that thou hurte no manne with thy elbowe, nor that thou pushe nor thrust him that is next thee, and that wyth [Page]thy feete thou smite them not, that are on the other side of the table.

¶ The countenaunce beying sette in chayre, or in any other place.

TO moue hymselfe in his chayre, and to sitte nowe vppon the one thigh, and nowe vpon the other, is like vnto a mā that stroke for stroke doth lose his belly, or that laboreth to lose it. And therfore the body muste be kept vpright with a iust measure.

¶ Vpon which arme we ought to hold and beare the nap­kyn, and whan it is cōuenient & mete to eate bare headed or coue­red.

IF thei geue thee a napkine, laye it vppon thi lefte arme. If thou take thy repast with greate and noble men, loke that thy head be well [Page]combe, put of thy bonet, except the cu­stome of the countrey be otherwyse, or that the aucthoritie of some doth com­maunde thee the contrary, vnto whom it were no honestie to disobey.

¶ Whan a childe shoulde sitte at the table, and whan he shoulde not.

THei haue in some place euen of custome that the children shall eate at the ende of the table bare headed, he must not set hymselfe, but whan he is commaunded, nor he shall not tary there to the latter ende of the repast: but whan he hath eaten suffici­ently, taking away his trenchour, and bowinge his knee, he muste doe reue­rence principatly vnto hym y ^e is moste honorable among the assistence.

¶ Glasse and knyfe.

THe glasse and the knife beynge cleane must be layde vppon the right side, and the bread on the [Page]left. Cut breade with a knife, and eate it with reuerence. Leaue of for the de­licatenes of certain courchers the ma­ner and vse to breake the bread with y ^e endes of thy singers, laying thy hande vpon it. As concerning thy selfe, cut it gentlemanly with thy knife, not cut­ting of the cruste rounde aboute aboue and beneath, for that doth sauer a de­licate persō. Our elders in al repastes did eate bread with great reuerence as a holy thing: and of that commeth the custome of this time, to kisse the bred, yf perchaunce it bee fallen vppon the grounde.

Whan, howe, what, and howe muche a chyld ought to drink at his repaste.

BI and by to begin y ^e repaste with drink is for drunkardes, y ^e drink not for any thirste, but by a cu­stome: nor it is not onely a dishonestie, but also a great noiaunce of the health of the body. He must not drinke incon­tinent after he hath supt vp and eaten his porage, & yet lesse, whan he hathe [Page]eaten milk. It is neither helthsom nor honest for a child to drink aboue twyse at one repast, or at y ^e most thryse. That he drinke once whan he hathe eaten a while of the second messe, and special­ly whan he is drie, furthermore about the ende of y ^e repast, he drinking muste drinke genely & swetely, not glutting­ly nor blowyng as horses doe. The wine and beere that maketh one dron­ken as much as wine, as thei doe hurt the health of children, so they dooe de­fame and dishonor them. Water is cō ­uenient for the age that is hote: but yf the nature of the countrey, or some o­ther reasō doth not suffer him to drink it, let him vse small bere, or som wyne y ^t is not burning, & that it be wel tem­pered with water. Or els here are the retribucion & rewardes y ^t folow those y ^t loue wine. Yelow teeth, & as it were rusly, hanging cheekes, blered eyes, a dulnes of vnderstanding, & to be short, age before age, & before his time. Swalow down thy morsels or euer y ^u drink nor com not nie y ^e glasse w ^t thy mouth, before thou hast wiped it w ^t thi napkin [Page]specially if any mā offer thee his glasse or if men drinke in a common cuppe. It is a filthy thyng to looke asyde whā thou art drinking, so it is a dishoneste thing to turne thy head vpō thy backe, after the maner of storkes, for feare y ^t there should remayne any thing in the goblet. Thanke hym swetely that shal praye thee to drynke, and in takyng y ^t glasse, and in tasting it a litle, fain thy selfe to drinke wisely, as thoughe thou were not a thirst, and this shall bee y­nough for hym that dissembleth & can plaie the courcher, and he shal promise to make an ende, whā he waxeth grea­ter, yf he that did drinke vnto hym bee so rude, that he constrainde hym there­to.

¶ Modestie at the com­myng to the table.

THere be that scantly can tarye till thei be wel set to eate theyr meate, and this pertaineth to wolues, & to them y ^t can scacely tarie till the meate be taken out of the pot. By the meanes wherof thou shalt [Page]neuer put thy hand first into the dishe, nor that onely for this cause that it de­clareth thee to be a gluttō & famished, but also because there is oftentymes daunger therein: for he that hath putte whote meate in his mouthe, is cōstrai­ned to caste it out agayne, or to burne his tonge if he swalowe it downe, so it foloweth that one or other doth mocke hym, with the euyll that he hath suffe­red.

¶ To moderate his appe­tite, and to auoide lykeryshnes.

MEn muste tarye a certayn time, to the intent that the child lerne to moderate his appetite. To y ^t which intencion Socrates being now very olde, woulde neuer drinke of the first cuppe. If the chyld be set with his supertours, that he put his hande laste into the dish, nor that he doe it not, er­cept he be first commaunded. To tem­per and to put his fingers in sawees, caudelles, or brotthes, pertayneth to rude and those that be broughte vp in [Page]villages: and therefore they muste take the thynge that thei will haue wyth a knife, without chosyng it in the dyshe, as they doe that are likerythe, but he must take that, that by chaunce is be­fore hym. The whiche fashion: nay be learned of Homere, the whiche dooeth often times speake thus. Thei boldely put to their handes vnto the meat y ^t is set before them. Likewise yf that, that is before the child be an exquisite mor­sell, he must leaue it for another, and take the nexte. So than as this is the dede of a likerish person, to trayne his hande on euerye side of the dishe, so in like maner it is scacely honest to turne the dithe that the beste morselles maye come towardes thee.

To receiue the thing that is presented with ci­uilitye.

IF any mā geue thee a good mor­sell, after that thou haste excused thee, receiue it, but whan thou hast cut a certain porcion for thy selfe, restore the rest to him that gaue it thee [Page]or geue part to hym that is nexte vnto thee. That thing that cannot be recei­ued with the fingers, must be receiued w ^t the trencher. If any man geue thee of a tarte, or of a pasty, receiue it with thy trencher. If the thyng that is geuē thee be liquide and fleting take it, and after that the sawcer be wiped & made cleane with a napkin restore it.

To licke his fingers, or to wype them vpon his gowne.

ALso it is an vnciuill thyng to lick his fingers, or to wipe them vpō his gowne: and sodainly to swa­lowe downe hole morselles dothe per­tayne to storkes or to gapers. If there be any that doth cutte or carue, it is an vnmanerly thinge to offer or to putte forth thy hande or thy trencher before he proffer thee any thing: for it semeth that thou wouldeste take that awaye, that is prepared for another. Thou muste receyue that is presented and geuen

To caste honestly awaye that a manne wyll not swalow.

IF perchaunce thou hast taken a­ny thing that is not good to swalow, turning thy face to some o­ther part, eiect it. To take again the meate that is halfe eaten, or the bones that are laid apart vpon the trencher, is blamed. Beware thou caste not the refuse of thy trencher vnder the table, lest thou defile the place or to lay them vpon the table clothe, nor within the platter, but to seperate and laye them on one of the corners of thy trencher, or put them into the sawcer, y ^t whiche in some places thei doe geue expresse­ly to put in the refuse.

To make cleane the shell of an egge.

TO make clene y ^t shell of an egge with thy fingers is a rediculous and a thing that men laughe at: & to dooe it putting thy tong into it, is yet more rediculous. It is doone more properly with thy knife.

To gnawe bones.

TO gnawe bones doth pertaine to dogges, to make them clene with a knife is a ciuill thing.

To take salte with a knife.

MEn doe count by a common pro­uerb, thre fingers put w ^tin y ^t salt celler, to be y ^t armes of villains. Ye must take with a knife asmuch salt as ye haue nede of. If the salte seller be to farre of, thou putting foorth thy trē cher must aske it.

To licke the dishe.

TO licke the dishe with thy tong, or thy trencher wher suger was or some other likerishe thinge, doeth pertain to cattes, and not to mē.

To cutte meate in small mor­selles, and to chamme it well, or euer thou swalowe it.

THat the childe doe cut his meat in small morsels vpon his tren­cher, and that incontimently he do put bread vnto it, wel cham­med before he sende it to the stomake: for this thing dooeth not onely profite vnto honestie, but also to the health of the body. There be that for a truth doe rather deuoure, and as gluttons dooe swalow than eate, & euen so as though a man should cary them and bring thē to prison. Suche gredines is like vnto them that stele and rob the thyng that thei doe eate. There be that at once do put so muche in their mouthes y ^t theyr chekes be blowne vp and swell on eue­ry side like beastes: other do open their iawes so wide whan they eate, y ^t they make a noise as it wer hogges. Other through a feruente heate to eate, dooe blowe with their nostrelles as though they should be strangled.

Nother to drinke nor to speake hauyng thy mouth full.

TO drinke or to speake whā ones mouth is full, is neither honest nor yet withoute daunger. It must nedes bee that the good purposes spoken one after the other must in the meane space breake the continuall ea­tynge.

To maintayne honeste gesture in eatynge.

THere be that continually do dri­nke and eate, nor y ^t because they coulde not otherwise maintayne theyr gestures, yf they scratched not their beds, if thei piked not their teeth, if thei made not some toyes with their handes, if they plaide not with their kniues, if thei cought not, yf they spit­ted not. Suche maner of doynges pro­cede of a rustical shame and behauiour like vnto folye. We muste passe ouer this molestiousnes and geue hede and harken to other mens deuices, if opor­tunitie do not suffer vs to speake.

Not to be pensifull and heauye at the Ta­ble.

IT is vnsemely and an vnmaner­ly thing to sit at the table as pē ­sife and heauy. Ye shall see some so foolish and so dreaming y ^t thei heare not what other men saie, nor fele not y ^t thei eate, and if ye call them by their name, thei seeme to bee awaked from some great sleepe, their heartes are so muche set vpon eating.

Not to behold what ano­ther man doth eate.

IT is a dishonestie to turne y ^t eies about the table, to see what eue­ry manne eateth: nor he must not holde nor looke long vpon anye of the assistence. And it is furthermore more dishonest to beholde with the corner of the eie those that bee on euerye side of thee. It is a very honest thing turning of the necke to beholde the thinge that men doe at another table.

Not to report the thynge that hath bene free­ly spoken at the Table.

IT is not faire nor honest, not on­lye for a childe, but also for no o­ther to reporte any thing y ^t hathe bene frely spoken or done at the table.

Modestie in speakynge and laughyng.

WHan the childe shal drink or eate with his superiours, he shall ne­uer speake, if necessitie constrain him not, or if he be not inuited of some manne to speake. That he smile moste swetely at those thinges that shall bee spoken merely. That he neuer laughe at filthy and vile wordes, but frowne, if he that spake those wordes by a man of dignitie, & make as though he harde them not, nor vnderstode them. Silēce doth bring honor to women, but more to litle children. Some do answere, be­fore that he whiche speaketh to them hath made an ende of his purpose: and therfore it bappeneth often times that he which doth answer is scorned, and y ^t he geueth place to the aunciente pro­uerbe. Thou reenters the pykes, that is: y ^u aunswereth nothinge to y ^t matter. [Page]The great and very wise king dooeth teache vs this, and dooeth attribute to foly to aunswer before thou hast heard and certes he heareth not at all, y ^e doth not vnderstande him that speketh vn­to him: therefore let him hold his peace for a while, vntill he repete of hymself the thing that he hath spoken, But yf he wil not, but dothe presse him to an­swer, y ^e child shal pray him most hum­bly to pardon him, and that it woulde please him to repete againe y ^t he hathe spoken. Whan he hathe vnderstanded the demaunde and question, he must a litle bethinke himselfe, and than aun­swere him briefly and ioyfully.

Not to trouble the good chere with molestious wordes.

WE muste speake nothing at the Table, that shall trouble y ^t good chere. To touch the good name of any manne is a very euill dede. Nor he muste not renue his heauines to no man.

Blame not the meates that be presente, nor praise them not to muche that be presented.

TO blame the meates that be set vpō the table, is estemed an vn­ciuill and an vnmanerly thing, nor it pleseth not him that receued you to his diner. If the thinges be thyne y ^t the banket is made of, as it is a cyuyll thing to excuse the small preparacion and entreating, so is it an vnsauerye sawce for the assistence, to prayse the meates, or to declare what thei did cost thee.

Manerly to dissemble the foly of other men.

IF there be any at the table, that through foolishenes dooeth anye thing rudely, we must rather in­wardly dissemble y ^e thing, thē to mock thereat.

Libertie at the table.

[Page] LIbertie must be had at the table. It is a vile thing and vitupera­ble as Horace doth saie, if a man hath vnwisely or vnawares spoken a­ny thing at the table to discouer and o­pen it. All that is done or saide, muste be imputed to the wine, to the intente thou heare not the grekes lawe. I hate the geste that is memoratiue & mynde­full.

To ryse from the Table whan nature is sa­tisfied.

YF the repast or diner bee longer than the age of a child requireth, and semeth to draw to superflu­itie, by and by if thou haue satisfied & contented nature, withdrawe thy selfe either secretly, or demaunding and as­king leaue.

Wyse moderacion at the be­gynnyng of the nourish­ment of the chylde.

THey that constrayne the child to endure and suffer hunger, true­ly after my opinion and mynde thei are foolishe, nor thei are not much [Page]lesse foolishe that burste nie vnto the maunger. For as one of these maners doth weaken the force of the litle child likewise the other doth obfuscate y ^e spi­rite. Ye must learne a certain modera­cion euē from the beginning. Ye must fede the body of the infant or child with out filling of him entierly: & this must be done more oftner than largely.

There bee that cannot tell whan they bee ful but whan their bellies do swel, so that they be in daunger to burste, or to vomite. Thei also do hate their chil­dren the whiche notwithstanding they be yonge and tender, doe let them sit in a maner all night at the table.

To take awaye his trencher & refuse, and whan he riseth from the table to sa­lute the com­panye.

IF than thou must ryse from a re­past or diner y ^t shalbe to lōg, take away thy trēcher with the refuse therof, & whē thou hast saluted him y ^t semeth the most honorable of y ^e company [Page]and afterwards al the other together, go thy wayes: but returne shortelye a­gaine, to the ende it shall not seme that thou diddest rise to play, or for some o­ther thing not so honest. Whan thou art returned again, if nede be sit down or stande vprighte before the table re­uerently, as one that attendeth if ther shall be any man that wyll commande thee.

Wysedome in seruing.

IF thou serue, or doest take away beware y ^t thou defile no mannes gowne with anye thynge eyther with brother, or with a caudel, or with any other thyng.

To snuffe the candle.

BEing willing to snuffe the can­dle, aryse firste from the table, & with thy foote treade vpon that, that thou haste snuffed, that no euil sa­uer offende the nose. If thou geue or turne any thing, take hede thou doe it not with the left hande.

To saye grace.

WHan thou art commaunded to saye grace, dispose thy selfe as ready whan time shall bee to saye it, and that euery manne hold his peace. Then thy face must be reuerēt­ly and constantly turned towards him that sitteth vppermoste at the table.

¶ Of Metinges and intertayninge.
¶ To tourne from the waye, and to geue place and reuerence to persons worthy of honor: and not to disprayse the unknowen.

YF thou meete with anye man in thy waye the whiche for his age is venerable, or reuerend for his holinesse or graue for his dignitye, or otherwise worthy of honor, looke thou remember to geue him place, to turne thee and to make him waye, puttynge of thy bonet reuerently, and somwhat [Page]bowing thy knee. That the chylde ne­uer saye thus: what haue I to do with one that I knowe not? what haue I to doe with one that neuer did me good? This honor is not done to man, for his merites and good dedes, but vnto god. God by Salomon hathe so commaun­ded, the whiche hathe commaunded to doe honor, and to stande vp before an aged person. He hathe also commaun­ded it by Sainct Paule, to geue double honour to priestes: and in briefe, to doe honour to all those to whom honour is due, comprehending also the eathnike and painims magistrates and gouer­nours. And if the Turke had dominiō ouer vs (that god forbid) we should syn yf we should refuse the honour that is due to suche dignitie. I holde my peace at this time of fathers & mothers, vnto whom after and next vnto god, y ^e firste honour is due. And no lesse is due vnto preceptors and scholemasters, y ^t which as it were doe ingender the spirites of men and instruct them.

Reverence vnto oure egalles.

FUrthermore this worde of Sainct Paule ought to take place among our egalles, and suche as bet lyke vnto vs, preuenting (saith he) one ano­ther in doyng of honour. He that doth preuent to doe honoure to hym that is like vnto vs, or to our inferior is made neuer the lesse, but more ciuill, & ther­fore more honorable. He must speake reverently, & in fewe wordes with hys superious, with his egalles amiablye and gently.

To holde the bonet with the left haude.

SPeakinge or whan thou dooest speake, the left hande must hold the bonet, the right hand being or swetely lying vpon his nauil, or els the whiche is estemed more honest, the bonet hanging vpon bothe his handes ioyned together, and the twoo thūmes apearing, shal couer the vpper part of y ^e girdel. To hold his boke or his bonet vnder his arme holes, is a rude thing. The child must haue a certaine shame­fastnes [Page]that muste geue hym a grace and becom hym, & not to astonysh him.

To behold hym peasably and simplye vnto whō we speak.

THe eyes oughte to beholde hym vnto whom thou speakest, but peasably and simply, shewynge no maner of lasciuiousnes, or of euyl­nes. To holde downe the syght, or to looke a tosyde, bryngeth suspicion of an euyll conscience. To looke a tone syde, is like one that willeth and mea­neth euyll. To turne the face hether & thether, is a sygne of lightnes. It is a foule thinge to chaunge the face into diuers sorts, so that thou wrincle now thy nose, nowe with thy foreheade, or nowe to lifte vp thy browes, nowe to moue thy lippes, and that thy mouthe be now open, and afterwardes shutte. Suche fashions doe shewe a likelihode of a spirit like vnto Protheus, y ^t which was wonte to chaunge hym selfe into diuers formes. It is also a foule thyng [Page]to cast the heere by mouing & shaking the head, to cough without necessitye, to spit, or to scratche his head, to digge in his eares to wipe his nose, to scratch his face with his hande, for that dothe resemble him that wipeth awaye hys shamefastnes, to rubbe the nape of the necke, and to drawe in the shoulders, y ^t which thing we see in some Italiens.

To speake by sygnes is vn­semely for a chylde.

TO denie in turning the head, or shaking it to call another, and to the intent I speake not of all, to speake by signes although at somtinie it become a man, yet it becommeth not a childe. It is a foule thing to playe w ^e the armes, to fiddle with the fingers, to stand a tipto, and to be shorte, not to speake with the tonge, but with al the body, is the propertie of turtle doues, or of faire tailes, and well aprochynge vnto pies.

A swete voice, a peasable, an vnderstādful, and not to speake to hastelye.

THe voice must be swete and pea­sible, not high, the whiche thing pertaineth to paisans nor so low nor so soft, that it cannot come to the eares of him that thou doest speak vn­to. That the speche and wordes going before the thought be not to hastie, but al at leisure, and so that it maie be vn­derstanded. For if that take not wholy away the naturall brutishnes, & a cer­taine impediment of speakinge, yet at the least it doth mitigate and moderate it for the most part, considering that y ^e brutish and to hasty speche hath engē ­dred in many men the vice of the tong, the which nature had not geuen them.

Often times to repete the hono­rable title of hym to whō we speake.

SPeaking to a man it is a ciuili­tie oftentimes to repete his ho­norable title. There is nothing more honorable nor more sweete than the name of the father and the mother. There is nothing more amiable than the name of a brother and a sister. If [Page]thou know not the particuler titles of euery man, all learned men oughte to be honorable masters. All priestes re­uerende fathers, all that are like vnto thy self brothers & fréndes, to be short, all men vnknowen seignours, all wo­men vnknowen, danies.

Not to swere at all, and not to speake fylthe­lye.

IT is a vile thinge and an vnho­neste to heare an othe oute of the mouthe of a childe, whether it be in sport or in good earnest. What is more vile than the custome, whereby in some countreis at euery worde, and likewise the maidens doe swere by the brede, by the wine, and by the candle, and to be short, what is it y ^t thei swere not by? That the childe mingle not his tounge among, and with vile wordes, and that he hearken not vnto them, fi­nally nor to al that, that doth discouer and open it selfe vnhonestly to the eyes of man, and doth present it selfe vnde­cently to his eares.

[Page] If y ^e case require that thou muste name some shamefull member, thou muste signifye it by some modestius disguy­sing. Furthermore if any thing chaūce that may trouble the heart, as yf anye men do speake of vomiting, of a iakes, or of a turde, he must pray him that it displease not his eares.

To gaynsaye with mode­sty, and without quarellyng.

IF he will gaynsay agaynst anye thing, y ^t he take hede he saye not, ye saye not truely, specially if he speake to an aged person, but firste to praie him that he will not bee displea­sed, and saie: I vnderstode it otherwise of suche a man. A wel manered chylde wil neuer quarell with any man, and namely with his equalles, but rather if the thing com to debate shall geue it ouer as wonne, or els reporte hym to some arbiter or vnpere.

Not to preferre himselfe aboue any per­sō, nor to boast himselfe of anye thing nor blame no other, nor to break no mans purpose nor cōmunicacion nor to quarell.

[Page] THat he preferre not himself, nor auaunce himself of the thynges that he hath, that he reprehende not the dooinges of other, y ^t he blame not the spirite or maners of other na­cions, that he reuele not the secretes y ^e men hath tolde him, that he set not for­wardes nor sowe no newe rumours, y ^t he bespot no mans renoume & name, y ^t he blame not the vice whiche is geuen by nature: for that is not onely iniury­ous and inhumaine, but also foolysh, as if a would call hym that is blynde, blinde: or a crepil, a crepel: a blincard, a blincarde: a bastarde, a bastarde: by these meanes it shall bee and happen, that he shall finde loue without enuy, and frendes lyke vnto hymselfe. To breake the communicacion of one that speketh, or euer he hath made an end, is an vnciuil and an vnmanerly thing That the chylde take no rancoure or question with any man, that he shewe a certaine swetenes to euery man, not withstandinge that he receiue fewe to his enterior and secrete familiaritie, & that with great choise and eieccion.

Not to reuele and open his secretes to any man.

NOtwithstanding this, that he neuer tel to any person y ^t thing that he would should be kepte close and hidden, for this is but mocke­ty to loke for faith and truste of silence in another, the whiche thou canste not kepe to thy selfe, Certes no man hathe the tong so continent, but that he hath some man vnto whom he sheweth his secretes. This is a thing most sure, to doe nothing wherof thou mayste haue shame if it be disclosed.

Not to be curious of other mennes doynges.

BE not very curious of other mēs doinges, and if thou hast seen or perceiued anye thinge, make as though y ^u doest not know y ^t thou know­est. To looke vppon, and with the cor­ners of thy eies to beholde the letters, the whiche bee not offered thee, is an vnciuill and an vnmanerly thinge. If anye manne open his coffer and the [Page]chests of his Iewelles in thy presence, stande backe, for it is an vnmanerlye thing to loke into it, and yet it is more to withdraw or take any thing away. If thou perceiue that there shal chaūce any secrete purpose or matter amonge certayne men, drawe backe with oute making of any semblaunce, nor medle not with no suche purpose, wythoute thou be called.

Of play. Myrthe in playe without beyng to muche opi­natiue, & lying.

IN honest playes there must be a certaine lustines and mirthe, so there be no sticking in opinions the whiche is the mother of debates: & that there be no disceit nor lying: for of these smal beginninges, come greater iniuries and malice. He gayneth more honestly from debate, than he that ob­tayneth or winneth the thinge trou­bling himselfe by debate.

[Page] Goe not at al against the arbiters, nor against them that haue iudged y ^e game If thou play with those that know not the play, so that thou mayst winne cō ­tinually, suffer thy self to winne some­times, so that the play maye bee more pleasaunt, and more cherefull. If thou playe with thy inferiours and of lesse degree than thou thy selfe, be ignorant and forgette that thou art of a hyer de­gree than they are. Men muste play to refresh their spirites, and not for gain.

The nature of the chylde is knowen in playe.

MEn say that the nature of chil­dren dothe neuer more appeare than in play. If the spiryte and minde of any man be enclined to lie, to noyse, to anger, to violence, to arrogā ­cie, the vice of nature doth shewe it self in play. And therefore that the chylde of good nature be no lesse lyke hymself at play, than at the table.

¶ Of the chaumber, and of those thinges y ^t mē ought to do ther.
To auoide chatteryng and noise in the chamber and bedde.

Silence, shamefastnes, and also simplicitie, are praised in the chamber: but crying oute, euyl noyses, and pratling, are not honest, & muche lesse in bed. Whether it be whā thou dooest vnraye thee, or whan thou doest ryse, remembring shamefastnes, beware thou discouer nothynge to the eyes of other, that both custom and na­ture would it should be couert. If thou haue a common bed with thy compa­nion, be, styll whan thou art laide, and in remouing thy self, vncouer him not nor be not greuous vnto him plucking his couerlet from hym.

Praye fyrste or euer thou slepe, and whan thou rysest.

Or euer thou laye downe thy heade v­pon the pillowe, make the signe of the crosse vpon thy forehead and breste, cō ­mending thy selfe to Iesu Christ, with a litle praier. Doe the selfe same in the morning whan thou doest ryse, bep in­ning the daie with praier, for y ^u canste not beginne with a better presage or signe.

To washe his face, his handes, and hys mouthe.

Assoone as thou hast bene at y ^e pri­uie, doe nothing vntill thou hast washed thy face, thy handes, and thy mouthe.

To bee lyke thy parences in good maners and honestye.

IT is a filthy thing to those that God hath geuen the grace to bee well borne, not to aunswere and be lyke their parentes in maners and honesty. Thei whō fortune hathe wil­led [Page]to be of the common forte of people and lowe borne, and in the countreye, thei must the more enforce themselues to recompence that with elegantnesse, clenlines, and properties wherewyth fortune hath enuied them. No man cā chuse hymself a father, mother, or coū ­trey: but yet euery man may forge him self a good minde and good maners. I wil nowe in stede of a conclusion [...] a certaine small rule, the which as me thinketh is in a maner worthye of the first place.

Easilye to pardon and a­miably to reprehend the faulted of o­ther men.

THe greatest parte of ciuilitie is (so thou faile not therein) casily to pardone other mens faultes: nor thou must loue thy frend neuerthe­les, although he haue certain rude maners and euil fauored condicions: for ther are y ^t in other perfeccions dooe re­compence the rudenes of their maners Furthermore we geue not these rules as though mē could not be good w ^toute thē. If thy frēd do fail thorow ignorāce [Page]in any thyng that semeth to bee of im­portaunce, it is ciuily done, swetelye & secretely to monish hym. I would that this gifte suche as it is, may bee geuen by thee my dere sonne to all other chil­dren, to this ende that by this presente thou mayst obtayne and gette thee the loue of thy companions, and that thou cause them to haue in recommendaciō the study of liberall artes and good maners. The benignitie of Iesu Christe, keepe and encrease continuallye from better to better the noble and good lykelyhoode of vertue that thou represen­teste.

¶ Howe he must ryse in the Mornyng.
Ouid doth say, that to watche in the nighte maketh the body, yf it be moyst. subtill.

THerfore aboue al thynges we must haue a respecie to steepe, for feare that it bee not lesse than reson requi­reth, or lōger than pertai­neth vnto it. It suffiseth thē for a child to haue slept seuen houres. Then fyrst of al rising from thy bed, thou shalt be­gin the day in a good houre, in y ^e name of the father, and of the sonne, and of the holy ghost, cōmending thy selfe to Iesu Christe with the Lordes prayer. Thou shalt geue hym thankes that it hath pleased him to geue the this good night. Furthermore thou shalte praye hym to geue thee likewyse all the daye in good prosperitie: lesse thou fall into sin. Incontinent after y ^t thou be come [Page]into the presence of thy parentes, byd good moro we. Afterwardes combe thy head and washe thy handes & thy face, to thētent thou maist goe to schole. Be­fore y ^u enter in y ^u must pray Iesu Christ to geue thee his holy spirit, considryng y ^e whatsoeuer is enterprised withoute his aide & help, is wholy vnprofitable. Yet that notwithstanding leaue not of to study in the meane while as though he ought not to helpe thee at all w ^toute great labour. Pietie oughte to be the principal point of the child, the whiche is no other thinge but the true seruice of god, whiche dothe lye in fayth, loue and in the assured hope of god.

Of the diligence that shoulde be kept in the schole.

HEre with a good minde, & that thou doest, let it be done withal thy hart. Answer w ^c shamefast­nes. Reprehēd not euil things bitingly but rather modestly. Beware aboue al thinges to be corrected & beaten mery­toriously. Offēd not thy master neither in worde nor dede, nor thy cōpanions. [Page]Be more ready to teach, than to ouer­come him that disputeth againste thee: make thy hart a Library of Iesu Christ readyng continuallye. Learne from thy childchode holye Scripture. Take also a taske appointed to be red ordy­narily. Nor go not to thy bedde, vntyll thou haue first replenished thy spirit w ^t some faire sentences. If at anye tyme thou haste lefte oute anye thyng of thy taske, conbēne thy self in som amēdes. Learne y ^u by certain artes to accustome & to geue thy self to those thynges that thou must expresse. In y ^e meane whyle y ^u must rede y ^e moste approued authors. That there passe no day that thou get not some thing to ware better, for it is a deuilishe thyng onelye to studye elo­quence to ware better lerned in sciēce, & not to be better. Trueth it is, that e­loquēce is profitable if vertue gouerne it, so that the maners of the oratour be such y ^e perswade, & not y ^t oraciō. These be y ^e authors of y ^t which mē learne elo­quence. Cicero, Terence, Gellius, Quintilian, and Saluste. Tourne those y ^t principally we must folowe in [Page]eloquence, as the first to speake well. Neuertheles, I haue perceiued y ^t cer­tayne dooe disprayse Terence, and forbid that he should not be red to chil­dren, but they be suche that neuer vn­derstoode Terence wel. Nor I also did neuer approue commonly to reade all Poets, and without chose of them. It is also expedient from youth to learne at least way the first foundacions of li­berall sciences, and likewise y ^e geogra­phie of stories, & to ioine thē to tonges.

Of the returne and comming from the schoole

BEing come from the schole, goe hastely home without any tary­ing by the waye. And if there be any seruice to dooe vnto thy parentes, doe it diligently. But if thou haue ley­sure to repete particularly the thynge that was red thee in the schole, doe it, for there is nothing more precious du­ring this life, than time. Thinke also with thy self, that it cannot be recoue­red agayn, & that it is lost and passeth awaye sodainlye. Whan the houre of dyner aprocheth, laye the table.

To prepare to laye the table.

MAke readye the table at y ^e tyme accustomed: but before thou doe dresse it, washe diligentlye the glasses. First thou must laye the table dothe vpon the table, than the Latyn circle, and consequently the salt celler, & finally the bread. As touching y ^e glasses, dooe after the custome of the coun­trey, for in that thing al countreys are variable.

The consecracion of the table by Sainct Chrisostome

BLessed be thou O lorde god, that doest fede me from my youthe, & that doest nourish all creatures, fulfill our heartes with ioy and glad­nes, that we hauinge sufficientely y­nough maie abound in al good works through our sauior Iesu Christe with whom thou reignest in glory, honour, and kingdom with the holy ghost tho­row oute all worldes. So be it. After­wardes y ^u shalt say. Our father which art in heauen. &c.

Another consecracion.

HE that through his goodnesse nourisheth all thinges, blesse & sanctify all his that is set vpon the table, and that that shalbe set.

To take vp the table.

YE must take vp the table euē as ye prepared and layde it. First ye must take awaye the trenchers, & afterwarde the salte seller with y ^e salt, and than the chese must be taken away before al other thinges y ^e serue to make an ende of the feast and diner, and fy­nally with bread thou must take away the table clothe.

Grace after the repaste.

GLory be geuen to the Lord, glo­ry to the holy one, glory to thee, O kynge, for that thou hast ge­uen vs this refeccion, fyll vs with ioye & gladnes in thy holy spirit: y ^t we may be found worthy to be receiued into thi presence, and that we bee not ashamed and confused, when thou shalte render to euery one of vs after his workes, so be it. Our father whiche art. &c.

Another grace.

O Heauenlye father we geue thee thankes that by thy vnspeaka­ble power and might, hast cre­ated all thinges, and doest gouerne the vniuersall worlde by thy wonderfull wysdom, nourishyng and genynge vi­gure and strength to all creatures tho­row thy infinite goodnes, graunt yf it be thy pleasure to thy infants to drink with thee aboue in thy kyngdome the drink of immortalitie, the whiche thou hast promised and prepared for those y ^t with true hart doe loue the thorow thy son Iesu Christ, so be it. Our father. &c.

Countenaunce in seruing at the table.

KEpe thy selfe vpright wyth thy fete and holdyng them wel together, take dilygent hede y ^t there lack nothing. And whan thou must fil, geue, or set vpō the table, or take away any thyng, do it honestly. Whā y ^u must do a message in any place, come shortly & incontinētly again. Blesse god, & say y ^e cōsecracion & grace before & after thy repast. And beīg in cōpany neuer trou­ble y ^e purpose or cōmunicaciō of any o­ther mā, but yf thou be questioned wat [Page]answere in fewe wordes. Take hede y ^t thorow obliuiousnes thou mingle not y ^e pots or cups filling one for another, if there be diuersitie of wines. Forget not the salte, neuer set vpon the table the thing that is cutt or broken, whan ye shal chaunce to suppe by night, be diligent to snuffe the candles, that ther enter not into their noses y ^t sit at y ^e ta­ble any euil sauer. Take hede thou put not out y ^e candle whā thou doest snuffe it. Accustome not thy selfe to eate y ^t is taken from the table, or y ^t thei set vp in y ^e house. After that grace is said, & that all things be taken away, if thou haue leisure passe thy time at some honeste play w ^t thy companions, vntil that the houre to go to schole, do quite thee of y ^e plate.

Of the countenaunces and good maners that must be kept at the table.

YF it chaunce also y ^t thou art sette at the table, haue this in recordaciō & remēbrāce: first y ^t thy nailes be wel parde. Wash thy handes, kepe thy self vpright. Approue & consēt to y ^t [Page]that thy hoste doth saye that speaketh, Flie al dronkennes. Bee sober: shewe thy self so ioyfull and mery, y ^t thou re­member what is conueniente for thy age, be euermore the last of all other to put thy hand in the dish. If a mā geue thee a good morsel, refuse it modestly, if thou be enforced take it with geuing of thankes. And whan thou hast taken alitle pece or porcion therof, geue him the rest, or to some other y ^t sitteth nexte vnto thee, but yet neuer geue anye thinge to another mans wife y ^t is pre­sent. Nor like wise thou shalt geue no­thing to any prince or greate Lord. It shalbe wel suffred to cut & distribute y ^e best morsels to thy parentes & frendes. If any man do serue thee with any de­licate thing, as with the liuer of fyshe, or with any other thynge, thou shalte taste part therof, & distribute the reste. If any man drink vnto the, thank him ioifully, & drink a litle. If thou be not a thirst, yet at leastwaye put the glasse to thy mouth. Smile vpon them that speake, & as for thy selfe speake not a word, if no man aske thee any thyng, [Page]yf men speake of dishonest purposes & thinges, smyle not, but turne thy face to some other place, asthough y ^u hardest nothynge. Striue with no man at the table. Put thy self before no mā. Boast not thy selfe of that y ^t is in thee. Dys­praise not other mens things. Be gra­cious & amiable to thy cōpaniōs which are of low byrth. Accuse no man. Be y ^u no babler. And so doynge y ^u shalte finde laude & prayse without enuy wyth thy egall frendes. If thou see y ^t thy repaste continue to longe, take thy leaue, & af­ter y ^t thou hast saluted the assistence go frō the table. Neuer cut bread agaynst thy brest. And cutting it with a knyfe, put not thy litle fyngers vnto it. Gate that, y ^t is sette before, or nye vnto thee. And being wyllyng to take somewhat that is within the platter, and with y ^e pointe of thy knife, beware thou spyll not y ^e meate lyke a hogge vpō thy self. Nor meddle not to tourne vp y ^t princy­pally y ^t is within the platter, eating of soft or poched egges, first cut thy brede in small peces, but beware that there fal nothing vpon it. Eate thy egge ha­stely, [Page]& afterwardes lay y ^e shels whiche are not broke into y ^e platter. Drink not whā thou doest eate thine egge, and in eating therof, loke wel vpō y ^e for moste part of thy clothyng, leste y ^u bespot thē. If thou eate any sauce, neuer licke thy fingers. Nor as longe as the repaste, dureth wipe not thy lips nor thy nose wyth thy sleue. Nor wype not thy nose but w ^t an handkercher manerlye & mo­destly. Nor spit not rubbing thy spittle w ^t thy fingers. Be wel ware that thou put not thy fingers w ^tin y ^e salte seller, nor tēper thē not within y ^e sauce. Take not to thick, nor to great morsels, but cut thē one after another. Neuer take any thyng out of thy mouth, to laye it agayne vpon thy trencher. Clawe not thy head at the Table. Likewyse al ex­cesse laughyng and bourdyng at y ^e ta­ble is filthy. Or euer thou drinke wipe the borders of thy lippes with thy two litle fingers, lest any man see y ^e greace swim within the glasses Drink not al so hauing yet the morsell in y ^e mouthe & before it be swalowed downe. It is a rude and a filthy thing to eate & speak together.

[Page] To spit & yawne often, is likewise vn­manerly. It is a foolyshe thynge and a barbarous to leane at the table vppon thy elbowes. Also it is a thing worthy to be mocked at, whan one eateth bred to dippe it within the glasse in the pre­sence of people: Lie not vpon thy back. Sup asmuch as a dishe can holde. And whan thou doest sup, take good hede y ^t nothing doe fall, and sup not twise at once. Nor sup not agayne vntill thou haue eaten it, and swalowed it. It is for dogges to swalowe great morsels, and to gnawe the bones. Beholde not what the assistence haue before them, nor what thei take & eate. Put not that againe into the platter or dish, that al­ready hath bene gnawen and bytten. This is a ciuility among Italiens and Frenche men, to cast there bones and y ^e refuse vnder y ^e table, but y ^t is a filthy thing in Germany & amōg y ^e Almanes Also it is an vnsemely thyng to purge & clense y ^e teeth with y ^e nailes, or with the tong, or with a knife, for y ^e shoulde be done after the repast and diner.

Of the thing that ought to be after the repast.

AFter that al be taken away and set by, & grace said: he must passe the time, if y ^e time suffer him, w ^c some honest play, vntill y ^t houre & time be com y ^t thou must go to schole. In the meane whyle find a time to goe to thy lesson, doing y ^t with al thy might and power that the place requireth.

Of a perciculer repast.

THy refeccion must be tēperate & doone in time and season. Dyne largely, and sup more soberlye.

Take as muche meate as shall suffice nature, not for pleasure, and y ^e contentacion of the body. After y ^t thou haste dynde, doe something ioyfully. Walke a litle before supper, & asmuch after. Study and write fasting.

To chuse a scholemayster and to obey hym.

TAke the best learned for a scole­master, for it is impossible y ^t he whiche cā nothing may instruct another. Whan thou hast mette with such a one, by all meanes cause hym to beare thee fatherly affecio, & that thou beare vnto him the affeccion of a sōne. [Page]For we owe asmuch honour vnto those that hath taught vs the maner of well lyuing, as to those that haue geuen vs the begynnyng of life. Other waies be thou assured thou shalt haue a scolemaister in vaine, if likewise thou haue him not a true frend. Forthermore be thou continually attentife vnto hym. Learn the beste thinges euen from the begyn­nyng and foundacion. It is an extreme foly to lerne those thinges, y ^t willingly we wyl forget. Hearken not only dily­gently vnto the maister whan he dothe interprete, but also very feruētly. And be not contente onely to ensue and fo­lowe him that disputeth, but labour if thou maiest to passe him. And to retain the better his good trases, and meanes of speaking, put them in wrytyng as a treasure of thy memory. If thou be ig­norant, trust not to thi learned bookes. Forget not the thynges that thou hast heard aswel alone and perticularly, as in compani. Deuide the day in houres, by the which thou shalt stay the thing, that thou shouldst rede. Beyng not cō ­tent with this, thou shalte remembre [Page]to geue parte of the tyme, to thy secrete thoughtes and contemplacion. The exercise, whiche is as a certain strife and battell of the spirites, doth principall, shewe the force of the minde, and doth amake it and augment it. Be not ge­uen to the studye of the nyght, and oute of tyme and season, for they suppe vp and consume the spirit, and are great­lye hurtefull to bodely health. But the begynning of the day is frendly to mu­ses, and proper and meete to studye.

The maner of studying by [...]o­dolphe. Agricola.

TO order his study, he must prin­cipally take hede to two thyngs. The fyrst is, to consider to what studye thou wylt goe. The second is by what meanes thou maiest greatly pro­fytte in that, that thou hast chosen. As touchyng the fyrst poynt, yf thou haue suffyciente goodes, and a competente spirit and wyt, I counsell thee to geue thy selfe w ^tall thy force & might, to the best sciences. In the rest, y ^u shalt learne [Page]the artes of thy childehoode. If y ^u haue red any thing in good authors laboure to translate them into thy mother tōgs by proper wordes, and hauing the self same significacion, to the ende y ^t whan thou wouldest saie or write any thing, conferryng by longe usage thy vulgar tonge with y ^e Latin, thou maist prōpt­ly and commodiously expresse the con­ceite of thy minde by that which is vn­to thee natural, for to speake Latin af­terwardes more easilye. Furthermore yf thou entende to make any thyng, it shall be good and mete to forme in thy spirite and minde the selfe same matter in thy mother tonge as largely, and as elegantly as thou maist: & afterwardes to pronounce it in Latin purely & with proper significacion, to the intent that all may be spoken clerely and largely.

The signes of a good nature.

TO be not onely cōtinually about and with the masters, but also to study bisely & diligētly. To hafite his companions beyng beste learned. [Page]Also wholy to abstayne from the com­pany of those, that menne esteme to be hurtfull, as well for their maners, as for their renowme. To haue no maner of debate nor strife, but only of letters. To comprehende lightly and to take y ^t thing that is shewed and taughte, and to kepe it faithfully to folow fortunately, and to pronounce elegātly. To take hede y ^t in speaking he dooe not precipi­tate his purpose, to breake it in hys tonge, to murmure betwene his teeth, but to accustome hymselfe to pronoūce euery woorde distinctly, clerelye, and from point to point. To bee ashamed y ^t other shuld passe him, but rather labor to passe and excede other. Not to be an­grye whan he is corrected, & to reioyce whan he is praysed. To studye y ^t there appeare no foolishenes, no disorder, no vile, nor no sharp thing in him. Not to haue an vnshamefaste forehead, the browes lift vp, y ^e eyes bolde & hardy, y ^e tonge affectate, & the visage iucōstant. Finally y ^t ther be not foūd in his face, in his countenance, nor in his goinge, nor stāding vpright, any molestious or odious thyng.

The maner of repeting the lesson.

THere bee some that labor princi­pally to learne, their lesson word by worde: but that I like not, for it is a laborious thyng, and in a maner without any fruite or profyt. To what purpose is it nedeful to saye that word by woorde, that he vnderstandeth not, as the Popiniay do the. Thou must in­continently reade ouer agayne the les­son that thou hast hearde, and so, that thou deprly doe plante the whole sen­tence in thy mynde. Furthermore thou shalt returne agayne to the beginning and begyn to searche out euery worde, and onely the thynges that pertayn to grammer, y ^t is to wit & know whether there be any verbe of obscure deriuaci­on, or doubtfull, whether there be any coniugacion he throgleth, how that it maketh in the preterpersitence, what supine it hath, what they be of whome it is deriued. What he hath y ^e descende of hym, and what construccion he may haue, what it signifieth, and other like [Page]thynges. This done, thou shalt runne ouer it agayne, searchyng principally the thinges that doeth pertayne to the crafte of Rhethorike. If there bee anye good thing, or elegant, and wel spokē, note it with a marke, or wyth a lyttle starre. Take good hede to y ^e cōposiciō of verbes, and searche the beautifulnesse of the oracion, fynde the intente of the authour, and by what reason he hathe spoken euery thyng. Whan thou fyn­dest any thing that doth please thee be­ware as men saye, that thou passe not beyonde the loge. Staye thy self, & con­sider the reason why thou doest take so great pleasure in such oracion, & what it should meane y ^t thou hast not done so much in other. Thou shalt find y ^e thou wast moued to do it, for som subtilite or ornamēt of y ^e oraciō, or by som harmo­ny of y ^e cōposiciō: & to be short, for some other reasō. If y ^u find any adage, sētēce, or soin olde prouerb, or fable, history or some pleasant similitude; or as y ^u shalt think to be spoken shortlye, subtily or wittily kepe it in thy mind, as a tresure for vse & imitaciō. After y ^t let it not loth [Page]thee at all, to repete it ouer .iiii. times, for the writinges of learned mē made with a good spirit, & with great watch haue this in them, y ^t being redde, and redde agayne a thousande tymes, they dooe please more and more, shew­yng dailye newe miracles to those that dailye doe meruall at them. Prayse not the thyng without a cause y ^e commeth customablye into thy tables, because y ^t at other tymes thou hast not takē hede vnto it, the like shall chaunce muche more by readyng of good authours. Thou shalte reade it therefore foure tymes, and take good hede to that, that may be commodious for Philosophy, & lykewyse to Morall Philosophye, and whether there be any ensaumple y ^t per­tayneth to good maners. But is there any thing in this worlde, whereout a mā may not draw som ensāple or som figure or occasion of learning. For we shall soner see the thyng that we ought to doe, than that we should flye and a­uoyde, by the goodlye and vile dedes of other. In doing of this thou shalt lerne notwithstanding thou hast done other [Page]thinges. Thē if it seme good vnto the, take payn to learne, for at that presete thou shalt be nothing, or at least waye thou shalt be of litle estimacion. Ther resteth no more but to haunt the studi­us, and to set forth thy annotacions, & lykewise to vnderstand other mennes, praysing the one, and reprehendynge the other, partly defending thy owne, and partlye susseryng them to bee cor­rected. Finallye enforce thy selfe to fo­low in thy writinges the thynge that thou haste praysed to other. Lykewyse ryse thou vp after thy lesson, and walk alone, repeatinge the thing that thou haft red.

The countenaunces of play and other pastymes.

SOmtime we must recreate our spirites after our study. Mē doe that by plaies & other honest pa­stimes. The honest pastymes y ^t pertain to childrē be y ^e top & scourge, y ^e bowles, the exercises of the body, & again tēnis, and leapinges. The spices & kindes of leapinge are y ^e leape of grassehoppers w ^t both y ^e legs, the fete ioyned together [Page]and with one legge only. Men doe ex­ercise thēself with wrestling, & with y ^e sworde, if it be done in the presence of y ^e maister & without enuye. As concer­ning swimming, better it were to bee a loker on than a doer. But it is much more honeste to exercise his spirites w ^t instrumentes of musicke, y ^e whiche is y ^e most honest pleasure, and the most cō ­ueniences to muses y ^t a man can fynd. Playes forbiddē are these, dise, cardes, & other playes of hazarde, to swymme in y ^e water with other exercises of rus­sions. These be the thynges y ^t enryche the playe, grauitie, honeste myrth, vi­nacitie, vigure of the spirit, mutual a­mitie, to playe franklye, to wynne by trueth, and not by disceit. Also to great insolence dothe dishonoure the playe, mad cries, foolyshe countenaunces, to great trouble, and euyll disceite. It is a goodly thynge to wynne by crafte in honest playes, and yf euery man vale­antlye defende his place, in the meane while y ^e hope of a certain ioyful gaine, is cause to prouoke sorn other. For the rest here are the lawes of playes: that [Page]no man speake in his naturall or mo­thers tonge, or in that that is lesse fa­milier, for in so doyng they shal learne by playing. This shalbe a thyng moste profitable to recite certayn thynges of the authours setting and appoyntyng a certayne price or gaine to the enuye of one and another, so that the schoole mayster geue diligente order that they doe it.

Iduertisemence for com­mon assemblies and metynges.

AS oft as any man vnto whome y ^u doest owe honour shal speake vn­to thee, stande vp righte, be vnco­uered, let not thy face be heauy, nor of one side, nor shamelesse, nor incōstant, but temperate with a ioyfull modesty, the eyes shamefull, and turnynge to­wardes hym vnto whom thou speakest thy fete ioyned, & thy handes together. Wauer not with thy legges, & fyddle not w ^t thy hādes. Bite not thy lippes, scratch not thy hed, nor dig not win thi eares, & y ^t thi raimēt be honestly ordred [Page]Cause al thy garment, thy vysage, thy countenaunce, and thy body to shew & present a simple modestye, and a natu­rall shamefastnes. Be not a folysh and a hasty babler. That thy spirite be not to seke, whan he speaketh vnto thee, but be thou attentiue vnto taht he speaketh, if thou must aunswer him do it in few wordes & wisely. Further­more doyng hym honoure, name hym now and than by his sirname, bowing a litle thy knee, likewyse whan thou hast ended and finished thy aunswere.

To flye the company of the euyll.

THis is a thing that doth ayde & profite very much good noury­shyng & bryngyng vp, to auoide the company of y ^e euill Vpō this point Salomō doth admonish vs saying: my sonne if the sinnefull entice thee, con­sent not vnto them. Take no pleasure in the way of the euyll. Also. S. Paule said, that euil communicacion destroi­eth good maners, a litle leuen destroy­eth the hole paste.

How to searche the company of honest men.

HAunt not willingly other com­pany than the company of thy maisters. Winne through thy obedience and humanitie the best lear­ned and modest companions. For it is a thyng that doth profite aboue all o­ther if a man can haue the domestycall and familier company of studious and learned men.

Of the modestie that one ought to haue & to hold in walkynge.

THere be that walk faire & softly ensuing the pases and steppes of those that go to battell, & going, they seme to holde and kepe certayne measures. Flie as thou wouldest flye the pestilence, suche mens steppes and paces. Walke not also very hastely, yf no daunger nor no necessity require it, nor y ^u must not go nor walke to softly. There is one kinde or maner of wal­kyng laudable, wherin appereth gra­uitie, a wayte of aucthoritie, & a trace of tranquilitie. This is it therefore that thou muste folowe. So muche there is that thy mouing muste be pure & sym­ple. [Page]A thing coloured, dothe not please me. For nature muste forme & fashion our mocion & goyng. But if there be a­ny vice in nature, diligence muste cor­recte it. If arte do fayle, correcciō must satisfye it.

Of chastitie.

CHastitie is next vnto shamefast­nes, nor it cannot be kepte more surely than by shamefastnes, and y ^e industrious diligence of the eyes: so y ^t thou shalt not neede to care to beholde women vnchastly & wantonly, not be­cause y ^u shouldest abhorre their sexe, but to flie & auoid y ^t euil y ^t ensueth thereof.

Of garmentes.

Ameane and comelines is greatly praysed in garmentes. Thy ap­parell then oughte not to bee to sumptuous, nor to symple and poore, but pertainyng and cōuenient to pub­like honestye, kepe this sentence of O­uid, in the whiche is saide: Let younge minions as comid maidens bee farre from thee for euer.

Of the entertaynment of the heere.

AS touchyng this poynt, hearken what S. Paule the Apostle sayth if a mā entertain his heere, it is a dishonour vnto hym, and an honour to the womā, because that the heere was geuen the woman for a vayle. But a man should not couer his head, because he is the ymage and glory of god.

An aduertisement for ciuility & humain conuersacion.

FIrst haue thou an heart y ^t dothe not fynde that thyng sharpe and molestious that is honest, & that doth hys duetie without astonishment of any feare, or sodeinly taken by some esperance & hope, acquaint thy selfe w ^t the most honest, trouble not the euyll, prayse not thy own thynges, reprehēd nor dispraise not other mens thinges, preferre not thy self aboue other, al­though al other shuld prefere the, with good men doe pleasure to the enuious, accuse no man, be gracious & gentle to thy cōpanions which are of low birth, be affable to all men, be merye within the house, and wel manered withoute. [Page]Declare thy secretes to no man, remē ­bryng that the amitie of diuers is de­ceitfull. Do pleasure willinglye, & re­ceiue them by constrainte. If thou dis­praise glory, it will folowe thee whe­ther thou wilt or no, if thou seke for it, it will flye from thee. Desyre not to be praised, but doe the thynges worthy of praise. Be not acquainted with greate lordes except thei be gracious. Esteme not to haue any expence more precious than time.

Of the discrecion of studies.

THe spirites of Studentes are cō founded by excessiue alteracion but the countinaunce doth dure through mesurable and ordina­rie exercises, and doth gather together a greater heape than men doe thynke. There is nothing more hurtfull in all thynges than the fulsomenes and mo­lestiousnes that men take, and special­ly after study.

Whan thou art retur­ned home after diner.

Beynge returned home, do euen so as thou dydest before dynner Of the thing that ought to be done after supper.

AFter supper passe thi time with certaine pleasaunt fables, that done, and after thou hast bidden thy parentes good night, and al the company, go at a good houre to thy nest, and there-kneling vpon thy knees remēber with thy selfe in what studies thou hast consumed the daye. If thou haue done any offence, call for y ^e grace of Iesu Christ to pardon thee, promy­syng to bring forth better fruit in time to come. If there bee none, thanke hym of his goodnes, that hath kepie thee y ^t day from all vice and synne. Further­more thou shalt commende thy self vn­to hym with all thy heart, that it wyll please him to keepe thee from all em­bushementes of euill spirites, and frō vnhonest dreames. That done, enter & goe to thy bedde, rest thy selfe modestly in thy slepe, lye not vpon thy belly, nor vpon thy backe, but first thou shalt lye and rest vpon the right side, laying thy [Page]armes a crosse, laying thy right hand vpon the left shoulder, and thy left hād vppon thy right shoulder.

Of the thought that one shoulde haue in bed or euer he slepe.

BEfore thou slepe thou shouldest rede some exquisite thynge and worthy of memory, and if there­vpon slepe doe take thee, whan thou a­wakest, serche what that was. Thus muche there is, that thou oughtes to haue this sentence of Plinie in thy mynde, where it is sayde, that all the tyme whiche is not employde and spente in studye, is loste.