Caxton's Book of Curtesye eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 77 pages of information about Caxton's Book of Curtesye.

Caxton's Book of Curtesye eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 77 pages of information about Caxton's Book of Curtesye.

[14]

To mynystre / with deuoute reuerence
[Sidenote:  Minister reverently]
Loke ye do / youre humble obseruance
Debonairly / with due obedyence 94
Circumspectly / with euery circumstaunce
[Sidenote:  and circumspectly.]
Of poort and chere / of goodly counte[=n]ance
Remembryng_e_ wel the lord_e_ / a boue is he
Whom to serue / is grettest liberte 98

* * * * *

THE ORIEL TEXT.

[15]

And whan ye speke, loketh men in the face[1]
[Sidenote 1:  MS. visage.]
  Wyth sobre chere and goodly semblaunce;
Cast not your_e_ eye asyde in odir place, 101
  For that is a tokyn of wantowne inconstaunce,
  Which wolle appeyre your_e_ name, and disauau_n_ce;
    The wyse man seyth, ’who hathe this signes thre
    Ne is not like a good man [for] to be—­’ 105

[16]

‘Yn hert,’ he seyth, ’who that is inconstaunte,[1]
[Sidenote 1:  MS. inconstaunce]
  A waveryng eye, glyddryng but sodenly
From place to place, and A fote[2] variaunte[3] 108
[Sidenote 2:  MS. fore.]
[Sidenote 3:  MS. variaunce.]
  That in no place abydeth stabully—­
  Thes ben signes,’ the wyse man seyth sekerly,
    ’Of suche a wyght as is vnmanerly nyce,
    And is full like dissposed be to vice.’ 112

[17]

And wayte, my childe, whan ye stond at the table,
  Of souereyne or maister whether hit be,
Applieth you [for] to be seruysable, 115
  That no defaute in you may founde be;
  Loke who doth best and hym envyeth ye,
    And specially vseth attendaunce,
    Whiche is to souereyne thyng of gret plesaunce. 119

[Sidenote:  Hill’s Text.]

P) And wha_n_ ye speke, loke me_n_ in the face
    w_i_t_h_ sobre chere & goodly semblavnce; 100
  Caste not eye a-side in no other_e_ place,
    ffor that ys a token of a wanton constavnce
    which will[e] apayre yo_ur_ name, & dysavance. 
      The wyse ma_n_ sayth, ’who hath these thy_ngis_ iij, 104
      ys not lyke a good man for to be:’ 

P) ‘In herte,’ he sayth, ’who that ys Inco_n_stavnte,
    A waverynge eye, glydyng sodenly
  ffro place to place, & a foote varyavnte 108
    that in no place a-bydyth stabli,
    ‘Thyse bene the thyng_is_,’ the wysma_n_ sayth sekerly,
      ’Off suche a wayghte that be vnmanerly nyce,
      & be full[e] lykely dysposed vnto vyce.’ 112

P) Awayte, my chyld, wha_n_ ye stonde at table,
    Off mayster or soverayne whe_ther_ yt be,
  Applye you for to be servysable
    That no defawte in you fownden be; 116
    loke who dothe best, & hym folow ye,
      & in especyall[e] vse ye attendavnce
      wheryn ye shall[e] yo_u_r selfe best avaunce.

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Caxton's Book of Curtesye from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.