Disciplina Clericalis/Tale 21
XXI.[1] Etiquette in the King's Service
[The fader]: "Who that wilbe seruaunt vnto a kyng ought to see with al the sight of his mynde, than whan he comith to the kyng, that he may long stonde ne never sitte til the kyng comaunde, nother speke but whan it is neede; nother tary or abide but whan the kyng comaundith hym to dwelle and abide, and his counseil triewely kepe; and alwey be intentief to here what the kyng saith, neither hym bihovith of this to aske the kynges comaundement and whatsumever he comaundith do it; but beware ne lie nat vnto thi kyng, and see that he love his kyng and be to hym obedient; ne never associe ne felawship the nat with noman that the kyng hatith or that he hatith the kyng.[2] And whan he hath done al this and many another, haply [he] therby shal nat have no grete profite of the kyng." Than the sone: "Nothyng worse fallith or happenyth to a man than long to serve [the king] and no goode to geete nor purchace." [The] Fader: "Many of thynges now happenyth and cometh, and therfor the philosophre comaundith that noman overmoche tary with his kyng nor in his seruice." And another: "Who servith to the kyng without fortune so as I shal sey he leesith this world?"[3] And the sone: "O fader, whi foryetest thow to tel how a man ought to ete tofore a kyng?" [The fader]: "I am nat foryetful to tel, forwhi no difference is to ete before a kyng and elliswhere." The sone: "Say therfor how everywher a man ought to ete." [The fader]: "With vnwasshen handis ne touche nor ete noon of thi lordis mete; ne ete thow no brede til ther come another dissh vpon the table, ne speke thow nat vnpaciently neither; only be ther noon grete embosyng[4] put in thi Mowth, neither any crommes flowe or falle out;[5] and also behave the that thow speke nat with swolowyng;[6] nother swolow thow no morsel bifore that it be wele chewed in thi Mowth, lest thow be strangled; ne take neither mete ne drynk[7] til thi Mowth be voide; ne speke thow nat envi[n]ously;[8] ne speke thow nat while thow holdist anythyng in thi mowth, neither any thyng entre in to the throte in thyn inward arterie that myght be cause of thi deth; and if thow see any thyng[9] in the dissh that pleasith the, ne take it nat bifore thi felaw lest he say the to be shrewissh and cherolissh. After mete wassh thyn handis, for it is phisik and curtesy; of this forsoth (f. 132b) the eyen of many men bien empeired that after mete wipen with vnwasshen handis." [The] Sone: "Whosoever biddith me to mete, what shal I aunswer? Shal I graunt or nat?" The fader: "Do thow as it is comaunded of the Jewis." He saith: "Forsoth whosumeuer biddith the, see thow the persone of the bidder. If he be a worthy and a notable persone, anon graunt thow hym. Than if he be nat after that it shalbe the thrid or the secunde tyme, and this[10] is reherced of Habraham: Suche a day forsoth whan he stode bifore his yaate [he] sawe goyng vnder mannes liknes iii Angels, the whiche he praied to entre his house, their feete to wassh, refeccioun of mete to take, recreacioun and sport to make of their werynes; and thus he praied theym with an honest chiere. Thei forsoth as to a grete persone as he was, graunted anon to his peticioun. Forsoth whan they comen to Loth, eftsones and eftsones wern [thei] praied that thei shulden vndergo his Roof, for that he was no grete persone; as coarted or driven of soule thei wenten away."[11] A yong [man] oones asked an old man: "Whan I am boden to mete shal I ete moche?"[12] To whom thold man saide: "Moche! forwhi if he be thi friend that bad the, he shal joye and be glad of thi moche etyng; forsoth if he be an enemy he shal sorow and be sorowful."[13] To whiche thold man saide: "What and wherfor laughest thow, chield? For I am Remembred of the wordis that I have herd of blac Maymund."
- ↑ No. XXVI, the concluding discussion of the original; the first part having been shifted in the Middle English so as to form No. XXIV (which should, but does not, correspond to No. XXIX of the original).
- ↑ Lat. has only quem rex odio habebit.
- ↑ Lat. (I, 37, l. 3) hoc saeculum perdit et aliud.
- ↑ Lat. tantum bolum.
- ↑ Eng. omits ne dicaris gluto (I, 37, 10.)
- ↑ The Lat. (I, 37, l. 10) has nothing corresponding to this sentence.
- ↑ Lat. has simply nee pocula sumas donee, etc.
- ↑ Lat. ne discaris vinosus.
- ↑ Lat. bolum 'morsel.'
- ↑ Ms. 'this and'; Lat. (I, 37, l. 20) Hoc etiam.
- ↑ This is a very inexact translation; cf. I, 37, 25, quia autentica non erat persona, velut coacti annuerunt.
- ↑ Lat. quid faciam: parum vel nimis comedam?
- ↑ The English omits Hoc audito risit puer 'When the boy heard this he laughed.'