Part 27

Not smacking thy lips, as commonly do hogs,

Nor gnawing the bones as it were dogs;

Such rudeness abhor, such beastliness fly,

At the table behave thyself mannerly.

Thy fingers see clean that thou ever keep,

Having a napkin thereon them to wipe;

Thy mouth therewith clean do thou make,

The cup to drink in hand if thou take,

Let not thy tongue at the table walk,

And of no matter neither reason nor talk.

Temper thy tongue and belly alway,

For “measure is the proverb doth say, treasure,”

And measure in all things is to be used;

What is without measure ought to be refused.

For silence keeping thou shalt not be shent,

Whereas thy speech may cause thee repent.

Both speech and silence are commendáble,

But silence is meetest in a child at the table.

And Cato doth say, that “in old and young

The first of virtue is to keep thy tongue.”

Pick not thy teeth at the table sitting,

Nor use at thy meat overmuch spitting;

This rudeness of youth is to be abhorred;

Thyself mannerly behave at the board.

If occasion of laughter at the table thou see,

Beware that thou use the same moderately.

Of good manners learn so much as thou can;

It will thee prefer when thou art a man.