Read Ebook: Caxton's Book of Curtesye by Furnivall Frederick James Editor

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Ebook has 210 lines and 31307 words, and 5 pages

THE ORIEL TEXT.

CAXTON'S TEXT.

THE ORIEL TEXT.

Whan Another speketh at the table, Be ware ye interrupte not is tale nor langage, For that is a thing discommendable, 276 And hit is no signe of folkes sage To ben of wordis besy and outrage; For the wyse man seyth pleinly in sentence, 'He shall be wyse that yevith Audience.' 280

CAXTON'S TEXT.

THE ORIEL TEXT.

Be ware Also, my childe, of rehersaille Of materis whiche ben at the table mevide; Hit grevith ofte and dothe men disavaylle, 290 Full many a man that vice hath mysschevide, Of evill thyng saide is wors often contrivide; Suche reportis alway loke ye esschewe, As may of olde frendis make enemyes newe. 294

Itt is to A goodly childe well syttyng, To vse disportis of myrth and plesaunce, To harpe and lute, or lustely to syng, 304 And in the pres ryght manerly to daunce; When men se A childe of suche gouernaunce, They seyn, 'gladde may this frendis be To haue a sone soo manerly as he.' 308

CAXTON'S TEXT.

THE ORIEL TEXT.

Itt is fare to be cominycatyfe In matires vnto purpoos according, So that a wight sume not excessyfe, 318 For trusteth well, hit is tedious thyng For to here a childe multiplie talkyng, Yif hit be not to the purpose applied, And also wyth goodly termys aleyde. 322

Redith Gower in his writyng moralle, That aucient faders memorie, Redith his bokis clepide 'confessionalle,' 325 Wyth many anodir vertuous tretie, Full of sentence sette so frutuously, That them to rede shall yeue you corage, So is he fulle of sentence and langage. 329

CAXTON'S TEXT.

THE ORIEL TEXT.

CAXTON'S TEXT.

O fader and founder of ornate eloquence That enlumened hast alle our bretayne To soone we loste / thy laureate scyence 332 O lusty lyquour / of that fulsom fontayne O cursid deth / why hast thou ?^t poete slayne I mene fader chaucer / maister galfryde Alas the whyle / that euer he from vs dyde 336

THE ORIEL TEXT.

CAXTON'S TEXT.

THE ORIEL TEXT.

CAXTON'S TEXT.

THE ORIEL TEXT.

CAXTON'S TEXT.

THE ORIEL TEXT.

And syke also, and in case ye fynde Suche gleynes fresch as hath some apparence Of fayre langage, yet take them and vnbynde, 423 And preueth what they beth in existence, Coloured in langage, savory in sentence, And douth not, my childe, wythoute drede, Hit woll profite such thyng to se and rede. 427

CAXTON'S TEXT.

And vnto me / age hath bode good morowe I am not able clenly / for to gleyne Nature is fay of craft / her eyen to borowe 416 Me lacketh clerenes / of myn eyen tweyne Begge I maye / gleyne I can not certeyne Therfore ?^t werck / I wil playnly remytte To folkis yong / more passyng clere of witte 420

THE ORIEL TEXT.

Thinges whilome vside ben layde aside, And new fetis dayly ben contryvyde, Men can in no plight abyde, 444 They ben chaungeable and oft mevide, Thing some-tyme alowide is nowe reprevide, And aftir this shall thingis vppe aryse, That men sette nowe but litle a prise. 448

CAXTON'S TEXT.

This mene I my childe / ?^t ye shal haunte The guyse of them / that do most manerly But beware of vnthryft Ruskyn galate 451 Counterfeter of vnconnyng curtoisye His tacchis ben enfecte with vilonye Vngyrte. vnblyssed. seruyng atte table Me semeth hym a seruat nothing able 455

THE ORIEL TEXT.

Wynter ne somer to his souerayne Chappron hardy no bonet lust avale, For euery worde yeuyng his maister tweyne, 458 Vaunparlere in euery mannes tale, Absolon wyth the disculede heres smalle; Lyke to A presener of seint Malouse, A sonny bush myght cause hym to goo louse. 462

O I passe norture! fy! fy! for schame! I shuld haue seide he myght go hauke and hunt, For that schuld be A gentilmannys game, 465 To suche disportis thes gentis folkys be wounte; I seide to ferre, my langage was to blounte, But of this galaunte, loo! loke a while & fele, He feccheth his compace whan he shall bowe or knele,

CAXTON'S TEXT.

THE ORIEL TEXT.

CAXTON'S TEXT.

THE ORIEL TEXT.

CAXTON'S TEXT.

And at this tyme this tretye shal suffise Dispose you / to kepe it in your mynde The doctrine whiche for you I deuyse 514 And doubteth not / ful wel ye shal it finde To your honour / enrolle it vp and bynde Right in your breste / and at your riper age I shal wryte to you / herof the surplusage 518

THE ORIEL TEXT.

EXPLICIT.

CAXTON'S TEXT.

Explicit the book of curtesye.

Absolom with dissheveled hair, l. 460.

Annoy no man, l. 170.

Apayer, l. 399 H., appeyre, O., worsen, impair.

Apish, don't let your dress be, l. 486.

Avale, l. 457, lower, take off.

Ave Maria, say, l. 27, 77.

Avoyde, l. 271, emptying.

Austin, St, tells men how to behave at table, l. 158.

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