,,transcriber',s ,,note3     ,italicized
 text is surrounded by underscores3     
italics4     ,,the ,,babees' ,,book     
,illustration3 ,,elizabeth ,,tingle     
,,fairbanks       ,,the ,,babees' ,,book
    ,,medieval ,,manners ,,for   ,,the  
,,young    ,,done ,,into ,,modern       
,,english ,,from   ,,dr4 ,,furnivall',s 
,,texts ,,by   ,,edith ,,rickert        
,illustration    ,,new ,,york           
,,privately ,,printed   ,,christmas     
#aiac       ,,dedicated ,,to   ,e4 ,t4  
,f4   ,,and   ,e4 ,t4 ,f4     ,a ,matter
 of ,manners   ,in this present day1    
when chivalry has achieved at last its  
perfect bloom1 it is hard to realize    
that but a scant four centuries ago the 
children of even the very best families 
in ,england had to be taught their table
 manners4  ,today the graces of         
deportment come by nature to our youth2 
and the generation that has produced the
 immortal ,rollo can not comprehend the 
rude manners of the 8bela babee10 or    
beautiful well-born boy of ,queen       

,elizabeth's time4  ,o1 tempora6 ,o1    
mores6 ,how the times change and manners
 multiply6 ,but throughout the          
centuries--on the lengthening road of   
which we shall plant another milestone  
presently with feasting and             
merry-making--good manners and bad have 
ever gone hand in hand4 ,and ever has he
 of the mind conscious of virtue looked 
smugly down on the artless and          
indifferent vulgarian4  8,the ,babees'  
,book10 from which some quaint extracts 
are here reprinted1 is from old ,dr4    
,furnivall's collection of 8,divers     
treaties touching the ,manners and      
,meals of ,englishmen in former days40  
,it gives a moving picture of the       
domestic life of the ,middle ,ages4 ,the
 present translation out of the archaic 
language of the ,fifteenth ,century into
 intelligible ,english has been made by 
,edith ,rickert1 who seems to have      
preserved with skill and fidelity the   
spirit and form of the antiquated       
original4  ,it will perhaps amuse the   

good little ,rollo of today to know just
 how his ancient cousin was taught to   
behave at table2 and it will interest   
his elders to observe that the          
fundamental basis of good manners lay   
then as now in cleanliness1 self        
respect1 reverence and consideration for
 the feelings of others4                
,c4 ,m4 ,f4  ,christmas #aiac4     ,,the
 ,,babees' ,,book  ,,or  ,a ,,little    
,,report ,,of ,,how ,,young ,,people    
,,should ,,behave   ,may ,he who formed 
mankind in ,his image1 support me while 
,i turn this treatise out of ,latin into
 my common language1 that through this  
little comment all of tender years may  
receive instruction in courtesy and     
virtue4  ,facet saith that the ,book of 
,courtesy to teach the practice of      
virtue is the most helpful thing in the 
world1 so ,i will not shrink from this  
labour or refuse it2 but for mine own   
learning will say something that touches
 upon the matter4  ,but oh1 young       
babies1 whom blood royal hath endowed   

with grace1 comeliness1 and high        
ability1 it is on you ,i call to know   
this book1 for it were great pity but   
that ye added to sovereign beauty virtue
 and good manners4 ,therefore ,i speak  
to you specially1 and not to old men    
expert in governance1 decorum1 and      
honest manners1 for what need is to give
 pangs to ,hell1 joy to ,heaven1 water  
to the sea1 or heat to fire already hot8
  ,and so1 young babies1 my book is only
 for your instruction2 wherefore ,i pray
 that no man reprehend it1 but amend it 
where it is at fault1 and judge it not1 
for your own sake4 ,i seek no other     
reward but that it may please men and   
give you some ease in learning4 ,also1  
sweet children1 if there be in it any   
word that ye ken not1 speer while ye    
may1 and when ye know it1 bear it in    
mind2 and so by asking you may learn of 
wise men4 ,also1 think not too strangely
 that my pen writes in this metre2 for  
such verse is commonly used1 therefore  
take heed4  ,and first of all1 ,i think 

to show how you babies who dwell in     
households1 should 'have yourselves when
 ye be set at meat1 and how when men bid
 you be merry1 you should be ready with 
lovely1 sweet and benign words4 ,in     
this1 aid me1 ,o ,mary1 ,mother         
,revered2 and eke1 ,o lady mine1        
,facetia1 guide thou my pen and show    
unto me help4 ,for as ,a is the first of
 all letters1 so art thou mother of all 
virtue4 ,have pity1 sweet lady1 of my   
lack of wit1 and though untaught ,i     
speak of demeanour1 support my ignorance
 with thy goodly aid4  ,ah1 8bele       
babees10 hearken now to my lore4  ,when 
you enter your lord's place1 say 8,god  
speed10 and with humble cheer greet all 
who are there present4 ,do not rush in  
rudely1 but enter with head up and at an
 easy pace1 and kneel on one knee only  
to your lord or sovereign1 whichever he 
be4  ,if any speak to you at your       
coming1 look straight at them with a    
steady eye1 and give good ear to their  
words while they be speaking2 and see to

 it with all your might that ye jangle  
not1 nor let your eyes wander about the 
house1 but pay heed to what is said1    
with blithe visage and diligent spirit4 
,when ye answer1 ye shall be ready with 
what ye shall say1 and speak 8things    
fructuous10 and give your reasons       
smoothly1 in words that are gentle but  
compendious1 for many words are right   
tedious to the wise man who listens2    
therefore eschew them with diligence4   
,take no seat1 but be ready to stand    
until you are bidden to sit down4 ,keep 
your hands and feet at rest2 do not claw
 your flesh or lean against a post1 in  
the presence of your lord1 or handle    
anything belonging to the house4  ,make 
obeisance to your lord always when you  
answer2 otherwise1 stand as still as a  
stone1 unless he speak4  ,look with one 
accord that if ye see any person better 
than yourself come in1 ye go backwards  
anon and give him place1 and in nowise  
turn your face from him1 as far forth as
 you may4  ,if you see your lord        

drinking1 keep silence1 without loud    
laughter1 chattering1 whispering1 joking
 or other insolence4  ,if he command you
 to sit in his presence1 fulfil his wish
 at once1 and strive not with another   
about your seat4  ,when you are set     
down1 tell no dishonest tale2 eschew    
also1 with all your might1 to be        
scornful2 and let your cheer be humble1 
blithe1 and merry1 not chiding as if ye 
were ready for a fight4  ,if you        
perceive that your better is pleased to 
commend you1 rise up anon and thank him 
heartily4  ,if you see your lord and    
lady speaking of household matters1     
leave them alone1 for that is courtesy1 
and interfere not with their doing2 but 
be ready1 without feigning1 to do your  
lord service1 and so shall you get a    
good name4  ,also1 to fetch him drink1  
to hold the light when it is time1 and  
to do whatsoever ought to be done1 look 
ye be ready2 for so shall ye full soon  
get a gentle name in nurture4 ,and if   
you should ask a boon of ,god1 you can  

desire no better thing than to be       
well-mannered4  ,if your lord is pleased
 to offer you his own cup to drink1 rise
 when you take it1 and receive it goodly
 with both your hands1 and when you have
 done1 proffer it to no man else1 but   
render it again to him that brought it1 
for in nowise should it be used         
commonly--so wise men teach us4  ,now   
must ,i tell you shortly what you shall 
do at noon when your lord goes to his   
meat4 ,be ready to fetch him clear      
water1 and some of you hold the towel   
for him until he has done1 and leave not
 until he be set down1 and ye have heard
 grace said4 ,stand before him until he 
bids you sit1 and be always ready to    
serve him with clean hands4  ,when ye be
 set1 keep your own knife clean and     
sharp1 that so ye may carve honestly    
your own meat4  ,let courtesy and       
silence dwell with you1 and tell no foul
 tales to another4  ,cut your bread with
 your knife and break it not4 ,lay a    
clean trencher before you1 and when your

 pottage is brought1 take your spoon and
 eat quietly2 and do not leave your     
spoon in the dish1 ,i pray you4  ,look  
ye be not caught leaning on the table1  
and keep clear of soiling the cloth4    
,do not hang your head over your dish1  
or in any wise drink with full mouth4   
,keep from picking your nose1 your      
teeth1 your nails at meal-time--so we   
are taught4  ,advise you against taking 
so muckle meat into your mouth but that 
ye may right well answer when men speak 
to you4  ,when ye shall drink1 wipe your
 mouth clean with a cloth1 and your     
hands also1 so that you shall not in any
 way soil the cup1 for then shall none  
of your companions be loth to drink with
 you4  ,likewise1 do not touch the salt 
in the salt-cellar with any meat2 but   
lay salt honestly on your trencher1 for 
that is courtesy4  ,do not carry your   
knife to your mouth with food1 or hold  
the meat with your hands in any wise2   
and also if divers good meats are       
brought to you1 look that with all      

courtesy ye assay of each2 and if your  
dish be taken away with its meat and    
another brought courtesy demands that ye
 shall let it go and not ask for it back
 again4  ,and if strangers be set at    
table with you1 and savoury meat be     
brought or sent to you1 make them good  
cheer with part of it1 for certainly it 
is not polite when others be present at 
meat with you1 to keep all that is      
brought you1 and like churls vouchsafe  
nothing to others4  ,do not cut your    
meat like field-men who have such an    
appetite that they reck not in what     
wise1 where or when or how ungoodly they
 hack at their meat2 but1 sweet         
children1 have always your delight in   
courtesy and in gentleness1 and eschew  
boisterousness with all your might4     
,when cheese is brought1 have a clean   
trencher1 on which with a clean knife ye
 may cut it2 and in your feeding look ye
 appear goodly1 and keep your tongue    
from jangling1 for so indeed shall ye   
deserve a name for gentleness and good  

governance1 and always advance yourself 
in virtue4  ,when the end of the meal is
 come1 clean your knives1 and look you  
put them up where they ought to be1 and 
keep your seat until you have washed1   
for so wills honesty4  ,when ye have    
done1 look then that ye rise up without 
laughter or joking or boisterous word1  
and go to your lord's table1 and there  
stand1 and pass not from him until grace
 be said and brought to an end4  ,then  
some of you should go for water1 some   
hold the cloth1 some pour upon his      
hands4  ,other things ,i might commend  
you to do1 but as my time is brief1 ,i  
put them not into this little report2   
but overpass them1 praying with a spirit
 that rejoices in this labour1 that no  
man abuse me2 but where too little is1  
let him add more1 and where too much1   
let him take away1 for though ,i would1 
time forbids that ,i say more4          
,therefore ,i take my leave1 and        
inscribe this book to every wight whom  
it may please to correct it4  ,and1     

sweet children1 for love of whom ,i     
write1 ,i beseech you1 with very loving 
heart1 that you set your delight upon   
knowing this book2 and may ,almighty    
,god that suffered bitter pains1 make   
you so expert in courtesy that through  
your nurture and your governance you may
 advance yourselves to lasting bliss4   
,,of ,,this ,,book #bej ,,copies ,,were 
,,printed ,,for   ,,thomas ,,nast       
,,fairbanks ,,by ,,the ,,marchbanks     
,,press   ,,in ,,december1 ,,nineteen   
,,hundred ,,and ,,thirteen