Part 4

L’ oltra è: se tu porte squelle al descho per servire, Sur la riva dra squella le porexe di’ tenire: Se tu apili le squelle cor porexe sur la riva, Tu le poy mete zoxo in sò logo senza oltro che t’ ayda. 172

La terza poxe la quaranta è: se tu sporzi la copa, La sumità del napo col polexe may no tocha; Apilia lo napo de soto, e sporze con una man; Chi ten per altra via, pò fi digio, che sia vilan. 176

La quarta poxe la quaranta si è: chi vol odire: Ni grelin, ni squelle, ni ’l napo no di’ trop’ inplire; Mesura e modo de’ esse in tute le cosse che sia; Chi oltra zò vargasse, no ave fà cortexia. 180

L’ oltra che segue è questa: reten a ti lo cugiale, Se te fi tolegio la squella per azonzere de lo mangiale; Se l’ è lo cugial entro la squella, lo ministrante inpilia; In tute le cortexie ben fa chi s’ asetilia. 184

L’ oltra è questa: se tu mangi con cugial, No debie infolcire tropo pan entro mangiare; Quello che fa impiastro entro mangià da fogo, El fa fastidio a quilli che ghe mangiano da provo. 188

L’ oltra che segue è questa: s’ el tò amigo è tego, Tan fin ch’ el mangia al descho, sempre bochona sego; Se forse t’ astalasse, ni fosse sazio anchora, Forse anchora s’ astalarave per vergonza inlora. 192

L’ oltra è: mangiando con oltri a qualche inviamento, No mete entr’ a guayna lo tò cortelo anze tempo; No guerna lo cortello anze ch’ alo compagno; Forse oltro ven in descho d’onde tu no fè raxon. 196

La cortexia seguente è: quando tu è mangiao, Fa sì che Jesu Xristo ne sia glorificao. Quel che rezeve servixio d’alchun obediente, S’elo no lo regratia, tropo è deschognosente. 200

La cinquantena per la darera: Lavare le man, poy beve dro bon vino dra carera: Le man poxe lo convivio per pocho pòn si lavae, Da grassa e da sozura e l’in netezae. 204

THE FIFTY COURTESIES FOR THE TABLE,

OF FRA BONVESINO DA RIVA.

Fra Bonvesino da Riva, who lived in the town of Legnano, First treated of the Courtesies for the Table. Of the Fifty Courtesies which should be observed at the board Fra Bonvesino da Riva now speaks afresh. 4

The first is this: that, when thou art at table, Thou think first of the poor and needy; For, when thou feedest the poor, thou feedest thy Lord, Who will feed thee, after thy death, in the eternal bliss. 8

The second Courtesy. If thou offerest water for the hands, Offer it neatly: see thou be not rude. Offer enough water, not too much, when it is summer-time: In winter, for the cold, in small quantity. 12

The third Courtesy is—Be not too quick To run without a word to sit down at the board. If any one invites thee to a wedding, before thou art seated, Take not for thyself a place from which thou wouldst be turned out. 16

The next is—Before thou takest the food prepared, See that it be signed [with the cross] by thyself or thy better. Too greedy and churlish is he, and he offends against Christ, Who looks about at others, and signs not his dish. 20

The fifth Courtesy. Sit properly at the board, Courteous, well-dressed, cheerful, and obliging and fresh. Thou must not sit anxious, nor dismal, nor lolling, Nor with thy legs crossed, nor awry, nor leaning forward. 24

The sixth Courtesy. When people are at a pause, Be careful not to lean forward on the laid-out table. He who uses the table as a prop, that man is not courteous, When he tilts his legs upon it, or stretches out his arms along it. 28

The seventh Courtesy is—For all people Not to eat too much nor little, but temperately. That man, whoever he may be, who eats too much or little, I see not what good it can be to his soul or his body. 32

The eighth Courtesy is—So may God favour us, Fill not thy mouth too much, nor eat in too great a hurry. The glutton who eats in a hurry, and who eats with his mouth stuffed, If he were addressed, he scarcely answers you. 36

The ninth Courtesy is—To speak little, And stick to that which one has set-to at doing; For a man, as long as he is eating, if he has the habit of talking too much, Scraps may often spurt out of his mouth. 40

The tenth Courtesy is—When thou art thirsty, First swallow down thy food, and wipe thy mouth, and drink. The glutton who drinks in a hurry, before he has emptied his gullet, Makes himself disagreeable to the other who is drinking in his company. 44

And the eleventh is this: Do not offer the cup to another When he can himself reach it, unless he asks thee for it. Let every man take the cup when he pleases; And, when he has drunk, he should set it down quietly. 48

The twelfth is this: When thou hast to take the cup, Hold it with both hands, and wipe thy mouth well. With one it cannot well be held properly: In order that the wine be not spilled, thou must drink using both hands. 52

The thirteenth is this: If even thou dost not want to drink, If anybody offers thee the cup, thou must always accept it. When thou hast accepted it, thou mayst very soon set it down, Or else offer it to another who is in company with thee. 56

The next that follows is this: When thou art at entertainments Where there is good wine on the board, see that thou get not drunk. He who gets mad-drunk offends in three ways: He harms his body and his soul, and loses the wine which he consumes. 60

The fifteenth is this: If any one arrives, Rise not up from the board unless there be great reason therefor. As long as thou eatest at the board, thou shouldst not then move For the sake of making much of those who may come in to thee. 64

The sixteenth next in good sooth. Suck not with the mouth when thou eatest with a spoon. He acts like a beast who sucks with a spoon: Therefore whoever has this habit does well in ridding himself of it. 68