Part 7

Drop not thy breast with stew and other pottáge, Bring no unscoured knives unto the table; Fill not thy spoon lest in the carriáge It spill aside, which were not commendáble. Be quick and ready, meek and serviceáble, Well awaiting to fulfil anon What that thy sovereign commandeth to be done.

And wheresoever thou be to dine or sup, Of gentleness, take salt with thy knife. And be well aware thou blow not in the cup. Reverence thy fellows, begin with them no strife. To thy power keep peace all thy life. Interrupt no man, whereso that thou wend, No man in his tale, till he have made an end.

With thy fingers mark thou not thy tale. Be well advised, and namely, in tender age, To drink measurably both wine and ale. Be not too copious of thy languáge. As time requireth, show not thy viságe Too glad nor sorry, but keep thee even between, For loss, or lucre, or any case suddén.

Be soft in measure, not hasty but tractáble; Over-soft is nought, in no manner thing. To children belongeth not to be vengeáble, Soon movéd and full soon again fighting; And as it is remembered by writing: Wrath of children is soon overgone; With the parts of an apple they be made at one.

In children war is now mirth and now debate; In their quarrel is no great violence; Now play, now weeping, and seldom in one estate, To their complaints give never any credénce. A rod reformeth all their negligence. In their courage no rancour doth abide. Who that spareth the rod all virtues sets aside.

Ah, little ballad, void of eloquence, I pray young children that thee shall see and read, Though thou be copious of sentence, Yet to thy clauses for to take heed, Which into all virtue shall their youth lead. In this writing, though there be no date, If aught be amiss in word, syllable or deed, I submit me to correction without any debate.

HOW THE GOOD WIFE TAUGHT HER DAUGHTER

THE good wife taught her daughter, Full many a time and oft, A full good woman to be; For said she: “Daughter to me dear, Something good now must thou hear, If thou wilt prosper thee.

Daughter, if thou wilt be a wife, Look wisely that thou work; Look lovely and in good life, Love God and Holy Kirk. Go to church whene’er thou may, Look thou spare for no rain, For best thou farest on that day; To commune with God be fain. He must needs well thrive, That liveth well all his life, My lief child.

Gladly give thy tithes and thy offerings both, To the poor and the bed-rid—look thou be not loth. Give of thine own goods and be not too hard, For seldom is the house poor where God is stewárd. Well is he provéd Who the poor hath lovéd, My lief child.

When thou sittest in the church, o’er thy beads bend; Make thou no jangling with gossip or with friend. Laugh thou to scorn neither old body nor young, But be of fair bearing and of good tongue. Through thy fair bearing Thy worship hath increasing, My lief child.

If any man offer thee courtship, and would marry thee, Look that thou scorn him not, whatsoever he be; But show it to thy friends and conceal it naught. Sit not by him nor stand where sin might be wrought, For a slander raised of ill Is evil for to still, My lief child.

The man that shall thee wed before God with a ring, Love thou him and honour most of earthly thing. Meekly thou him answer and not as an atterling, So may’st thou slake his mood, and be his dear darling. A fair word and a meek Doth anger slake, My lief child.

Fair of speech shalt thou be, glad and of mild mood, True in word and in deed, and in conscience good. Keep thee from sin, from villainy and from blame; And look thou bear thee so that none say of thee shame, For he that in good life hath run, Full oft his weal hath won, My lief child.

Be of seemly semblance, wise, and other good cheer; Change not thy countenance for aught that thou may hear. Fare not as a gig, for nought that may betide. Laugh thou not too loud nor yawn thou not too wide. But laugh thou soft and mild, And be not of cheer too wild, My lief child.

And when thou goest on thy way, go thou not too fast, Brandish not with thy head, nor with thy shoulders cast, Have not too many words, from swearing keep aloof, For all such manners come to an evil proof. For he that catcheth to him an evil name, It is to him a foul fame, My lief child.

Go thou not into the town, as it were agaze, From one house to another, for to seek the maze; Nor to sell thy russet, to the market shalt thou go, And then to the tavern to bring thy credit low. For they that taverns haunt From thrift soon come to want, My lief child.

And if thou be in any place where good ale is aloft, Whether that thou serve thereof or that thou sit soft, Measurably thou take thereof, that thou fall in no blame, For if thou be often drunk, it falleth to thy shame. For those that be often drunk— Thrift is from them sunk, My lief child.

Go not to the wrestling or shooting at the cock, As it were a strumpet or a gigggelot; Dwell at home, daughter, and love thy work much, And so thou shalt, my lief child, wax the sooner rich. A merry thing ’tis evermore, A man to be served of his own store, My lief child.

Acquaint thee not with each man that goeth by the street, Though any man speak to thee, swiftly thou him greet; By him do not stand, but let him his way depart, Lest he by his villainy should tempt thy heart. For all men be not true That fair words can shew, My lief child.

Also, for covetousness gifts beware to take; Unless thou know why else, quickly them forsake; For with gifts may men soon women overcome, Though they were as true as steel or as stone. Bound forsooth is she That of any man takes fee, My lief child.

And wisely govern thy house, and serving maids and men, Be thou not too bitter or too debonaire with them; But look well what most needs to be done, And set thy people at it, both rathely and soon. For ready is at need A foredone deed, My lief child.

And if thy husband be from home, let not thy folk do ill, But look who doeth well and who doeth nil; And he that doeth well, quit him well his while, But he that doeth other, serve him as the vile. A foredone deed Will another speed, My lief child.

And if thy time be strait and great be thy need, Then like a housewife set to work with speed; Then will they all do better that about thee stand, For work is sooner done that hath full many a hand. For many a hand and wight Makes a heavy work light; And after thy good service, Thy name shall arise, My lief child.

Whate’er thy household doth, about them must thou wend, And as much as thou mayest, be at that one end, If thou find any fault, make them soon amend, As they have time and space, and may them defend. To compel a deed be done, if there be no space, It is but tyranny, without temperance and grace, My lief child.

And look that all things be well when they their work forsake, Forget thou not the keys into thy ward to take And beware to whom thou trustest, and for no fancy spare, For much harm hath fallen to them that be not ’ware. But, daughter, look thou be wise, and do as I thee teach, And trust none better than thyself, for no fair speech, My lief child.

And give your household their hire at their term-day, Whether they dwell still with thee, or they wend away. Do well by them of the goods thou hast in hold, And then shall they say well of thee, both the young and old. Thy good name to thy friends Great joy and gladness lends, My lief child.

And if thy neighbour’s wife hath on rich attire, Therefore mock not, nor let scorn burn thee as a fire. But thank thou God in heaven for what He may thee give, And so shalt thou, my daughter dear, a good life live, He hath ease in his power, Who thanks the Lord every hour, My lief child.