Hic incipiunt constituciones artis gemetriae secundum Euclydem.

Whose wol bothe wel rede and loke,
Hy may fynde wryte yn olde boke
Of grete lordys, and eke ladyysse,
That hade mony chyldryn y-fere, y-wisse;
And hade no rentys to fynde hem wyth,
Nowther yn towne, ny felde, ny fryth:
A cownsel togeder they cowthe hem take,
To ordeyne for these chyldryn sake,
How they myztn best lede here lyfe

Withoute gret desese, care, and stryfe;

10

And most for the multytude that was comynge
Of here chyldryn after here zyndynge.
[They] sende thenne after grete clerkys,
To techyn hem thenne gode werkys;
And pray we hem, for our Lordys sake,
To oure chyldryn sum werke to make
That they myzth gete here lyvynge therby,
Bothe wel and onestlyche, ful sycurly.
Yn that tyme, throzgh good gemetry,

Thys onest craft of good masonry

20

/ p.13 /
Wes ordeynt and made yn thys manere,
Y-cownterfetyd of thys clerkys y-fere;
At these lordys prayers they cownterfetyd gemetry,
And zaf hyt the name of masonry,
For the moste oneste craft of alle.
These lordys chyldryn therto dede falle,
To lurne of hym the craft of gemetry,
The wheche he made ful curysly;
Throzgh fadrys prayers and modrys also,

Thys onest craft he putte hem to.

30

He that lernede best, and were of onesté,
And passud hys felows yn curysté;
zef yn that craft he dede hym passe,
He schulde have more worschepe then the lasse.
Thys grete clerkys name wes clept Euclyde,
Hys name hyt spradde ful wondur wyde.
zet thys grete clerke more ordeynt he,
To hym that was herre yn thys degré,
That he schulde teche the symplyst of [wytte]

Yn that onest craft to be parfytte;

40

And so uchon schulle techyn othur,
And love togeder as syster and brothur.
Forthermore zet that ordeynt he,
Mayster y-callud so schulde he be;
So that he were most y-worschepede,
Thenne sculde he be so y-clepede:
But mason schulde never won other calle,
Withynne the craft amongus hem alle,
Ny soget, ny servand, my dere brother,

Thazht he be not so perfyt as ys another;

50

/ p.14 /
Uchon sculle calle other felows by cuthe,
For cause they come of ladyes burthe.
On thys maner, throz good wytte of gemetry,
Bygan furst the craft of masonry:
The clerk Euclyde on thys wyse hyt fonde,
Thys craft of gemetry yn Egypte londe.
Yn Egypte he tawzhte hyt ful wyde,
Yn dyvers londe on every syde;
Mony erys afterwarde, y understonde,

zer that the craft com ynto thys londe.

60

Thys craft com ynto Englond, as y zow say,
Yn tyme of good kynge Adelstonus day;
He made tho bothe halle and eke bowre,
And hye templus of gret honowre,
To sportyn hym yn bothe day and nyzth,
An to worschepe hys God with alle hys myzth.
Thys goode lorde loved thys craft ful wel,
And purposud to strenthyn hyt every del,
For dyvers defawtys that yn the craft he fonde:

He sende aboute ynto the londe

70

After alle the masonus of the crafte,
To come to hym ful evene strazfte,
For to amende these defautys alle,
By good consel, zef hyt mytzth falle.
A semblé thenne he cowthe let make,
Of dyvers lordis, yn here state,
Dukys, erlys, and barnes also,
Knyzthys, sqwyers, and mony mo,
And the grete burges of that syté,

They were ther alle yn here degré;

80

/ p.15 /
These were ther uchon algate,
To ordeyne for these masonus astate.
Ther they sowzton y here wytte,
How they myzthyn governe hytte:
Fyftene artyculus they ther sowzton,
And fyftene poyntys ther they wrozton.

                        Hic incipit articulus primus.
The furste artycul of thys gemetry:-
The mayster mason moste be ful securly,
Bothe stedefast, trusty, and trwe,

Hyt shal hym never thenne arewe:

90

And pay thy felows after the coste,
As vytaylys goth thenne, wel thou woste;
And pay them trwly, apon thy fay,
What that they deserven may;
And to her hure take no more,
But what that they mowe serve fore;
And spare, nowther for love ny drede,
Of nowther partys to take no mede;
Of lord ny felow, whether he be,

Of hem thou take no maner of fe;

100

And as a jugge stonde upryzth,
And thenne thou dost to bothe good ryzth;
And trwly do thys whersever thou gost,
Thy worschep, thy profyt, hyt schal be most.

                        Articulus secundus.
The secunde artycul of good masonry,
As ze mowe hyt here hyr specyaly,
/ p.16 /
That every mayster, that ys a mason,
Most ben at the generale congregacyon,
So that he hyt resonably y-tolde,

-é schal be holde;

110

And to that semblé he most nede gon,
But he have a resenabul skwsacyon,
Or but he be unbuxom to that craft,
Or with falssehed ys over-raft,
Or ellus sekenes hath hym so stronge,
That he may not come hem amonge;
That ys a skwsacyon, good and abulle,
To that semblé withoute fabulle.

                        Articulus tercius.
The thrydde artycul for sothe hyt ysse,

That the mayster tkae to no prentysse,

120

But he have good seuerans to dwelle,
Seven zer with hym, as y zow telle,
Hys craft to lurne, that ys profytable;
Withynne lasse he may not ben able,
To lordys profyt, ny to his owne,
As ze mowe knowe by good resowne.

                        Articulus quartus.
The fowrthe artycul thys moste be,
That the mayster hym wel be-se,
That he no bondemon prentys make,

Ny for no covetyse do hym take;

130

For the lord that he ys bonde to,
May fache the prentes whersever he go.
/ p.17 /
zef yn the logge* he were y-take,
Muche desese hyt myzth ther make,
And suche case hyt myzth befalle,
That hyt myzth greve summe or alle.
For alle the masonus that ben there,
Wol stonde togedur hol y-fere.
zef suche won yn that craft schulde dwelle,

Of dyvers desesys ze myzth telle:

140

For more zese thenne, and of honesté,
Take a prentes of herre degré.
By olde tyme wryten y fynde,
That the prentes schulde be of gentyl kynde;
And so sumtyme grete lordys blod,
Toke thys gemetry, that ys ful good.

---------------------------
* It is curious to observe that the same term, lodge, is still in universal use among the Masons. See also the third point for the enjoinment of secresy at whatever was done at the lodges, which exactly corresponds with the present custom.
---------------------------

                        Articulus quintus.
The fyfthe artycul ys swythe good,
So that the prentes be of lawful blod;
The mayster schal not, for no vantage,

Make no prentes that ys outrage;

150

Hyt ys to mene, as ze mowe here,
That he have hys lymes hole alle y-fere;
To the craft hyt were gret schame,
To make an halt mon and a lame,
For an unperfyt mon of suche blod,
Schulde do the craft but lytul good.
/ p.18 /
Thus ze mowe knowe everychon,
The craft wolde have a myzhty mon;
A maymed mon he hath no myzht,

ze mowe hyt knowe long zer nyzht.

160

                        Articulus sextus.
The syxte artycul ze mowe not mysse,
That the mayster do the lord no pregedysse,
To take of the lord, for hyse prentyse,
Also muche as hys felows don, yn alle vyse.
For yn that craft they ben ful perfyt,
So ys not he, ze mowe sen hyt.
Also hyt were azeynus good reson,
To take hys hure, as hys felows don.
Thys same artycul, yn thys casse,

Juggythe the prentes to take lasse

170

Thenne hys felows, that ben ful perfyt.
Yn dyvers maters, conne qwyte hyt,
The mayster may his prentes so enforme,
That hys hure my crese ful zurne,
And, zer hys terme come to an ende,
Hys hure may ful wel amende.

                        Articulus septimus.
The seventhe artycul that ys now here,
Ful wel wol telle zow, alle y-fere,
That no mayster, for favour ny drede,

Schal no thef nowther clothe ny fede.

180

Theves he schal herberon never won,
Ny hym that hath y-quellude a mon,

/ p.19 /
Ny thylke that hath a febul name,
Lest hyt wolde turne the craft to schame.

                        Articulus octavus.
The eghte artycul schewet zow so,
That the mayster may hyt wel do,
zef that he have any mon of crafte,
And be not also perfyt as he auzte,
He may hym change sone anon,

And take for hym a perfytur mon.

190

Suche a mon, throze rechelaschepe,
Myzth do the craft schert worschepe.

                        Articulus nonus.
The nynthe artycul schewet ful welle,
That the mayster be both wyse and felle;
That no werke he undurtake,
But he conne bothe hyt ende and make;
And that hyt be to the lordes profyt also,
And to hys craft, whersever he go;
And that the grond be wel y-take,

That hyt nowther fle ny grake.

200

                        Articulus decimus.
The thenthe artycul ys for to knowe,
Amonge the craft, to hye and lowe,
Ther schal no mayster supplante other,
But be togeder as systur and brother,
Yn thys curyus craft, alle and som,
That longuth to a maystur mason.
/ p.20 /
Ny he schal not supplante non other mon,
That hath y-take a werke hym uppon,
Yn peyne therof that ys so stronge,

That peyseth no lasse thenne ten ponge,

201 [lit.]

But zef that he be gulty y-fonde,
That toke furst the werke on honde;
For no mon yn masonry,
Schal not supplante othur securly,
But zef that hyt be so y-wrozth,
That hyt turne the werke to nozth;
Thenne may a mason that werk crave,
To the lordes profyt hyt for to save;
Yn suche a case but hyt do falle,

Ther schal no mason medul withalle.

220

Forsothe he that begynnyth the gronde,
And he be a mason goode and sonde,
He hath hyt sycurly yn hys mynde,
To brynge the werke to ful good ende.

                        Articulus undecimus.
The eleventhe artycul y telle the,
That he ys bothe fayr and fre;
For he techyt, by hys myzth,
That no mason schulde worche be nyzth,
But zef hyt be yn practesynge of wytte,

zef that y cowthe amende hytte.

230

                        Articulus duodecimus.
The twelfthe artycul ys of hye honesté
To zevery mason, whersever he be;
/ p.21 /
He schal not hys felows werk deprave,
zef that he wol hys honesté save;
With honest wordes he hyt comende,
By the wytte that God the dede sende;
But hyt amende by al that thou may,
Bytwynne zow both withoute nay.

                        Articulus xiij^us.
The threttene artycul, so God me save,

Ys, zef that the mayster a prentes have,

240

Enterlyche thenne that he hym teche,
And meserable poyntes that he hym reche,
That he the craft abelyche may conne,
Whersever he go undur the sonne.

                        Articulus xiiij^us.
The fowrtene artycul, by good reson,
Scheweth the mayster how he schal don;
He schal no prentes to hym take,
But dyvers curys he have to make,
That he may, withynne hys terme,

Of hym dyvers poyntes may lurne.

250

                        Articulus quindecimus.
The fyftene artycul maketh an ende,
For to the mayster he ys a frende;
To lere hym so, that for no mon,
No fals mantenans he take hym apon,
Ny maynteine hys felows yn here synne,
For no good that he myzth wynne;
/ p.22 /
Ny no fals sware sofre hem to make,
For drede of here sowles sake;
Lest hyt wolde turne the craft to schame,

And hymself to mechul blame.

260

                        Plures Constituciones.
At thys semblé were poyntes y-ordeynt mo,
Of grete lordys and maystrys also,
That whose wol conne thys craft and com to astate,
He most love wel God, and holy churche algate,
And hys mayster also, that he ys wyth,
Whersever he go, yn fylde or fryth;
And thy felows though love also,
For that thy craft wol that thou do.

                        Secundus punctus.
The secunde poynt, as y zow say,

That the mason worche apon the werk day,

270

Also trwly, as he con or may,
To deserve hys huyre for the halyday,
And trwly to labrun on hys dede,
Wel deserve to have hys mede.

                        Tercius punctus.
The thrydde poynt most be severele,
With the prentes knowe hyt wele,
Hys mayster conwsel he kepe and close,
And hys felows by hys goode purpose;
The prevystye of the chamber telle he no mon,

Ny yn the logge whatsever they done;

280

/ p.23 /
Whatsever thou heryst, or syste hem do,
Telle hyt no mon, whersever thou go;
The conwsel of halle, and zeke of bowre,
Kepe hyt well to gret honowre,
Lest hyt wolde torne thyself to blame,
And brynge the craft ynto gret schame.

                        Quartus punctus.
The fowrthe poynt techyth us alse,
That no mon to hys craft be false;
Errour he schal maynteine none,

Azeynus the craft, but let hyt gone;

290

Ny no pregedysse he schal not do
To hys mayster, ny hys felows also;
And thazth the prentes be under awe,
zet he wolde have the same lawe.

                        Quintus punctus.
The fyfthe poynte ys, withoute nay,
That whenne the mason taketh hys pay,
Of the mayster, y-ordent to hym,
Ful mekely y-take so most hyt byn;
zet most the mayster, by good resone,

Warne hem lawfully byfore none,

300

zef he nulle okepye hem no more,
As he hath y-done ther byfore;
Azeynus thys ordyr he may not stryve,
zef he thenke wel for to thryve.

                        Sextus punctus.
The syxte poynt ys ful zef to knowe,
Bothe to hye and eke to lowe,
/ p.24 /
For suche case hyt myzth befalle,
Amonge the masonus, summe or alle,
Throwghe envye, or dedly hate,

Ofte aryseth ful gret debate.

310

Thenne owyth the mason, zef that he may,
Putte hem bothe undur a day;
But loveday zet schul they make none,
Tyl that the werke day be clene a-gone;
Apon the holyday ze mowe wel take,
Leyser y-nowzgh loveday to make,
Lest that hyt wolde the werke day,
Latte here werke for suche afray;
To suche ende thenne that ze hem drawe,

That they stonde wel yn Goddes lawe.

320

                        Septimus punctus.
The seventhe poynt he may wel mene,
Of wel longe lyf that God us lene,
As hyt dyscryeth wel opunly,
Thou schal not by thy maystres wyf ly,
Ny by thy felows, yn no maner wyse,
Lest the craft wolde the despyse;
Ny by thy felows concubyne,
No more thou soldest he dede by thyne.
The peyne thereof let lyt be ser,

That he be prentes ful seven zer,

330

Zef he forfete yn eny of hem,
So y-chasted thenne most he ben;
Ful mekele care myzth ther begynne,
For suche a fowle dedely synne.
/ p.25 /

                        Octavus punctus.
The eghte poynt, he may be sure,
zef thou hast y-taken any cure,
Under thy mayster thou be trwe,
For that poynt thou schal never arewe;
A trwe medyater thou most nede be,

To thy mayster, and thy felows fre;

340

Do trwly al .... that thou myzth,
To both partyes, and that ys good ryzth.

                        Nonus punctus.
The nynthe poynt we schul hym calle,
That he be stwarde of oure halle,
zef that ze ben yn chambur y-fere,
Uchon serve other, with mylde chere;
Jentul felows, ze moste hyt knowe,
For to be stwardus alle o rowe,
Weke after weke withoute dowte,

Stwardus to ben so alle abowte,

350

Lovelyche to serven uchon othur,
As thawgh they were syster and brother;
Ther schal never won on other costage
Fre hymself to no vantage,
But every mon schal be lyche fre,
Yn that costage, so moste hyt be;
Loke that thou pay wele every mon algate,
That thou hast y-bowzht any vytayles ate,
That no cravynge be y-mad to the,

Ny to thy felows, yn no degré,

360

/ p.26 /
To mon or to wommon, whether he be,
Pay hem wel and trwly, for that wol we;
Thereof an thy felow trwe record thou take,
For that good pay as thou dost make,
Lest hyt wolde thy felowe schame,
And brynge thyself ynto gret blame.
zet good acowntes he most make,
Of suche godes as he hath y-take,
Of thy felows goodes that thou hast spende,

Wher, and how, and to what ende;

370

Suche acowntes thou most come to,
Whenne thy felows wollen that thou do.

                        Decimus punctus.
The tenth poynt presentyeth wel god lyf,
To lyven withoute care and stryf;
For and the mason lyve amysse,
And yn hys werk be false, y-wysse,
And throwz suche a false skewysasyon,
May sclawndren hys felows oute reson,
Throwz false sclawnder of suche lame,

May make the craft kachone blame.

380

zef he do the craft suche vylany,
Do hym no favour thenne securly,
Ny maynteine not hym yn wyked lyf,
Lest hyt wolde turned to care and stryf;
But zet hym ze schul not delayme,
But that ze schullen hym constrayne,
For to apere whersevor ze wylle,
Whar that ze wolen, lowde or stylle;
/ p.27 /
To the nexte semblé ze schul hym calle,

To apere byfore hys felows alle,

390

And but zef he wyl byfore hem pere,
The crafte he moste nede forswere;
He schal thenne be chasted after the lawe,
That was y-fownded by olde dawe.

                        Punctus undecimus.
The eleventhe poynt ys of good dyscrecyoun,
As ze mowe knowe by good resoun;
A mason, and he thys craft wel con,
That syzth hys felow hewen on a ston,
And ys yn poynt to spylle that ston,

Amende hyt sone, zef that thou con,

400

And teche hym thenne hyt to amende,
That the hole werke be not y-schende.
And teche hym esely hyt to amende,
With fayre wordes, that God the hath lende;
For hys sake that sytte above,
With swete wordes noresche hym love.

                        Punctus duodecimus.
The twelthe poynt ys of gret ryolté,
Ther as the semblé y-holde schal be,
Ther schul be maystrys and felows also,

And other grete lordes mony mo;

410

Ther schal be the scheref of that contré,
And also the mayr of that syté,
Knyztes and sqwyers ther schul be,
And other aldermen, as ze schul se;
/ p.28 /
Suche ordynance as they maken there,
They schul maynté hyt hol y-fere,
Azeynus that mon, whatsever he be,
That longuth to the craft bothe fayr and fre.
zef he any stryf azeynus hem make,

Ynto here warde he schal be take.

420

                        xiij^us punctus.
The threntethe poynt ys to us ful luf,
He schal swere never to be no thef,
Ny soker hym yn hys fals craft,
For no good that he hath byraft,
And thou mowe hyt knowe or syn,
Nowther for hys good, ny for hys kyn.

                        xiiij^us punctus.
The fowrtethe poynt ys ful good lawe,
To hym that wold ben under awe;
A good trwe othe he most ther swere,

To hys mayster and hys felows that ben there;

430

He most be stedefast and trwe also,
To alle thys ordynance, whersever he go,
And to hys lyge lord the kynge,
To be trwe to hym, over alle thynge.
And alle these poyntes hyr before,
To hem thou most nede be y-swore,
And alle schul swere the same ogth,
Of the masonus, ben they luf, ben they loght,
To alle these poyntes hyr byfore,
That hath ben ordeynt by ful good lore. 440
/ p.29 /
And they schul enquire every mon,
On his party, as wyl as he con,
zef any mon mowe be y-fownde gulty,
Yn any of these poyntes spesyaly;
And whad he be, let hym be sowzht,
And to the semblé let hym be browzht.

                        Quindecimus punctus.
The fyftethe poynt ys of ful good lore,
For hem that schul ben ther y-swore,
Suche ordynance at the semblé was layd,

Of grete lordes and maystres byforesayd;

450

For thylke that ben unbuxon, y-wysse,
Azeynus the ordynance that there ysse,
Of these artyculus, that were y-meved there,
Of grete lordes and masonus al y-fere.
And zef they ben y-preved opunly,
Byfore that semblé, by an by,
And for here gultes no menys wol make,
Thenne most they nede the craft forsake;
And so masonus craft they schul refuse,

And swere hyt never more for to use.

460

But zef that they wol mendys make,
Azayn to the craft they schul never take;
And zef that they nul not do so,
The scheref schal come hem sone to,
And putte here bodyes yn duppe prison,
For the trespasse that they hav y-don,
And take here goodes and here cattelle,
Ynto the kynges hond, every delle,
/ p.30 /
And lete hem dwelle there ful stylle,

Tyl hyt be oure lege kynges wylle.

470

                        Alia ordinacio artis gemetriae.
They ordent ther a semblé to be y-holde,
Every zer, whersever they wolde,
To amende the defautes, zef any where fonde,
Amonge the craft withynne the londe;
Uche zer or thrydde zer hyt schuld be holde,
Yn every place whersever they wolde;
Tyme and place most be ordeynt also,
Yn what place they schul semble to.
Alle the men of craft ther they most ben,

And other grete lordes, as ze mowe sen,

480

To mende the fautes that buth ther y-spoke,
zef that eny of hen ben thenne y-broke.
Ther they schullen ben alle y-swore,
That longuth to thys craftes lore,
To kepe these statutes everychon,
That ben y-ordeynt by kynge Aldelston;
These statutes that y have hyr y-fonde,
Y chulle they ben holde throzh my londe,
For the worsché of my rygolté,

That y have by my dygnyté.

490

Also at evry semblé that ze holde,
That ze come to zowre lyge kyng bolde,
Bysechynge hym of hys hye grace,
To stonde with zow yn every place,
To conferme the statues of kynge Adelston,
That he ordeynt to thys craft by good reson.

/ p.31 /

                        Ars quatuour coronatorum.
Pray we now to God almyzht,
And to hys moder Mary bryzht,
That we mowe keepe these artyculus here,

And these poynts wel al y-fere,

500

As dede these holy martyres fowre,
That yn thys craft were of gret honoure;
They were as gode masonus as on erthe schul go,
Gravers and ymage-makers they were also.
For they were werkemen of the beste.
The emperour hade to hem gret luste;
He wylned of hem a ymage to make,
That mowzh be worscheped for his sake;
Suche mawmetys he hade yn hys dawe,

To turne the pepul from Crystus lawe.

510

But they were stedefast yn Crystes lay,
And to here craft, withouten nay;
They loved wel God and alle hys lore,
And weren yn hys serves ever more.
Trwe men they were yn that dawe,
And lyved wel y Goddus lawe;
They thozght no mawmetys for to make,
For no good that they myzth take,
To levyn on that mawmetys for here God,

They nolde do so, thawz he were wod;

520

For they nolde not forsake here trw fay,
An byleve on hys falsse lay.
The emperour let take hem sone anone,
And putte hem ynto a dep presone;
The sarre he penest hem yn that plase,
The more yoye wes to hem of Cristus grace.
/ p.32 /
Thenne when he sye no nother won,
To dethe he lette hem thenne gon;
Whose wol of here lyf zet mor knowe,

By the bok he may hyt schowe,

530

In the legent of scanctorum,
The names of quatuour coronatorum.
Here fest wol be, withoute nay,
After Alle Halwen the eyght day.
ze mow here as y do rede,
That mony zeres after, for gret drede,
That noees flod wes alle y-ronne,
The tower of Babyloyne was begonne,
Also playne werke of lyme and ston,

As any mon schulde loke uppon;

540

So long and brod hyt was begonne,
Seven myle the hezghte schadweth the sonne.
Kyng Nabogodonosor let hyt make,
To great strenthe for monus sake,
Thazgh suche a flod azayne schulde come,
Over the werke hyt schulde not nome;
For they hadde so hye pride, with strange bost,
Alle that werke therfore was y-lost;
An angele smot hem so with dyveres speche,
That never won wyste what other schuld reche.

Mony eres after, the goode clerk Euclyde

551

Tazghte the craft of gemetré wonder wyde,
So he dede that tyme other also,
Of dyvers craftes mony mo.
Throzgh hye grace of Crist yn heven,
He commensed yn the syens seven;
/ p.33 /
Gramatica ys the furst syens y-wysse,
Dialetica the secunde, so have y blysse,
Rethorica the thrydde, withoute nay,

Musica ys the fowrth, as y zow say,

560

Astromia ys the v, by my snowte,
Arsmetica the vi, withoute dowte,
Gemetria the seventhe maketh an ende,
For he ys bothe meke and hende.
Gramer forsothe ys the rote,
Whose wyl lurne on the boke;
But art passeth yn hys degré,
As the fryte doth the rote of the tre;
Rethoryk metryth with orne speche amonge,

And musyke hyt ys a swete songe;

570

Astronomy nombreth, my dere brother,
Arsmetyke scheweth won thyng that ys another,
Gemetré the seventhe syens hyt ysse,
That con deperte falshed from trewthe y-wys.
These ben the syens seven,
Whose useth hem wel, he may han heven.
Now dere chyldren, by zowre wytte,
Pride and covetyse that ze leven hytte,
And taketh hede to goode dyscrecyon,

And to good norter, whersever ze com.

580

Now y pray zow take good hede,
For thys ze most kenne nede,
But muche more ze moste wyten,
Thenne ze fynden hyr y-wryten.
zef the fayle therto wytte,
Pray to God to sende the hytte;
/ p.34 /
For Crist hymself, he techet ous,
That holy churche ys Goddes hous,
That ys y-mad for nothynge ellus,

But for to pray yn, as the bok tellus;

590

Ther the pepul schal gedur ynne,
To pray and wepe for here synne.
Loke thou come not to churche late,
For to speke harlotry by the gate;
Thenne to churche when thou dost fare,
Have yn thy mynde ever mare,
To worschepe thy lord God bothe day and nyzth,
With all thy wyttes, and eke thy myzth.
To the churche dore when thou dost come,

Of that holy water ther sum thow nome,

600

For every drope thou felust ther,
Qwenchet a venyal synne, be thou ser.
But furst thou most do down thy hode,
For hyse love that dyed on the rode.
Into the churche when thou dost gon,
Pulle uppe thy herte to Crist, anon;
Uppon the rode thou loke uppe then,
And knele down fayre on bothe thy knen;
Then pray to hym so hyr to worche,

After the lawe of holy churche,

610

For to keep the comandementes ten,
That God zaf to alle men;
And pray to hym with mylde steven,
To kepe the from the synnes seven,
That thou hyr mowe, yn thy lyve,
Kepe the wel from care and stryve;
/ p.35 /
Forthermore he grante the grace,
In heven blysse to han a place.
In holy churche lef nyse wordes,

Of lewed speche, and fowle wordes,

620

And putte away alle vanyté,
And say thy pater noster and thyn ave;
Loke also thou make no bere,
But ay to be yn thy prayere;
zef thou wolt not thyselve pray,
Latte non other mon by no way.
In that place nowther sytte ny stonde,
But knele fayre down on the gronde,
And, when the Gospel me rede schal,

Fayre thou stonde up fro the wal,

630

And blesse the fayre, zef that thou conne,
When gloria tibi is begonne;
And when the gospel ys y-done,
Azayn thou myzth knele adown;
On bothe thy knen down thou falle,
For hyse love that bowzht us alle;
And when thou herest the belle rynge,
To that holy sakerynge,
Knele ze most, bothe zynge and olde,

And bothe zor hondes fayr upholde,

640

And say thenne yn thys manere,
Fayr and softe, withoute bere;
"Jhesu Lord, welcom thou be,
Yn forme of bred, as y the se!
Now Jhesu, for thyn holy name,
Schulde me from synne and schame;

/ p.36 /
Schryff and hosel thou grant me bo,
zer that y schal hennus go,
And very contrycyon of my synne,

That y never, Lord, dye therynne;

650

And, as thou were of a mayde y-bore,
Sofre me never to be y-lore;
But when y schal hennus wende,
Grante me the blysse withoute ende;
Amen! amen! so mot hyt be!
Now, swete lady, pray for me."
Thus thou myzht say, or sum other thynge,
When thou knelust at the sakerynge.
For covetyse after good, spare thou nought,

To worschepe hym that alle hath wroght;

660

For glad may a mon that day ben,
That onus yn the day may hym sen;
Hyt ys so muche worthe, withoute nay,
The vertu therof no mon telle may;
But so meche good doth that syht,
As seynt Austyn telluth ful ryht,
That day thou syst Goddus body,
Thou schalt have these, ful securly:--
Mete and drynke at thy nede,

Non that day schal the gnede;

670

Ydul othes, an wordes bo,
God forzeveth the also;
Soden deth, that ylke day,
The dar not drede by no way;
Also that day, y the plyht,
Thou schalt not lese thy eye syht;
/ p.37 /
And uche fote that thou gost then,
That holy syht for to sen,
They schul be told to stonde yn stede,

When thou hast therto gret nede;

680

That messongere, the angele Gabryelle,
Wol kepe hem to the ful welle.
From thys mate now y may passe,
To telle mo medys of the masse:
To churche come zet, zef thou may,
And here thy masse uche day;
zef thou mowe not come to churche,
Wher that thou doste worche,
When thou herest to masse knylle,

Pray to God with herte stylle,

690

To zeve the part of that servyse,
That yn churche ther don yse.
Forthermore zet, y wol zow preche,
To zowre felows, hyt for to teche,
When thou comest byfore a lorde,
Yn halle, yn bowre, or at the borde,
Hod or cappe that thou of do,
zer thou come hym allynge to;
Twyes or thryes, withoute dowte,

To that lord thou moste lowte;

700

With thy ryzth kne let hyt be do,
Thyn owne worsshepe thou save so,
Holde of thy cappe, and hod also,
Tyl thou have leve hyt on to do.
Al the whyle thou spekest with hym,
Fayre and lovelyche bere up thy chyn;

/ p.38 /
So, affter the norter of the boke,
Yn hys face lovely thou loke.
Fot and hond, thou kepe ful stylle,

From clawynge and trypynge, ys sckylle;

710

From spyttynge and snyftynge kepe the also,
By privy avoydans let hyt go.
And zef that thou be wyse and felle,
Thou hast gret nede to governe the welle.
Ynto the halle when thou dost wende,
Amonges the genteles, good and hende,
Presume not to hye for nothynge,
For thyn hye blod, ny thy comynge,
Nowther to sytte, ny to lene,

That ys norther good and clene.

720

Let not thy cowntenans therfore abate,
Forsothe, good norter wol save thy state.
Fader and moder, whatsever they be,
Wel ys the chyld that wel may the,
Yn halle, yn chamber, wher thou dost gon,
Gode maneres make a mon.
To the nexte degré loke wysly,
To do hem reverans by and by;
Do hem zet no reverans al o-rowe,

But zef that thou do hem knowe.

730

To the mete when though art y-sette,
Fayre and onestelyche thou ete hytte;
Fyrst loke that thyn honden be clene,
And that thy knyf be scharpe and kene;
And kette thy bred al at thy mete,
Ryzth as hyt may be ther y-ete,

/ p.39 /
zef thou sytte by a worthyour mon,
Then thy selven thou art won,
Sofre hym fyrst to toyche the mete,

zer thyself to hyt reche.

740

To the fayrest mossel thou myzht not strike,
Thaght that thou do hyt wel lyke;
Kepe thyn hondes, fayr and wel,
From fowle smogynge of thy towel;
Theron thou schalt not thy nese snyte,
Ny at the mete thy tothe thou pyke;
To depe yn the coppe thou myzght not synke,
Thagh thou have good wyl to drynke,
Lest thyn enyn wolde wattryn therby--

Then were hyt no curtesy.

750

Loke yn thy mowth ther be no mete,
When thou begynnyst to drynke or speke.
When thou syst any mon drynkynge,
That taket hed to thy carpynge,
Sone anonn thou sese thy tale,
Whether he drynke wyn other ale.
Loke also thou scorne no mon,
Yn what degré thou syst hym gon;
Ny thou schalt no mon deprave,

zef thou wolt thy worschepe save;

760

For suche worde myzht ther outberste,
That myzht make the sytte yn evel reste.
Close thy honde yn thy fyste,
And kepe the wel fro "had-y-wyste."
Yn chamber, amonge the ladyes bryght,
Holde thy tonge and spende thy syght;

/ p.40 /
Lawze thou not with no gret cry,
Ny make no ragynge with rybody.
Play thou not but with thy peres,

Ny tel thou not al that thou heres;

770

Dyskever thou not thyn owne dede,
For no merthe, ny for no mede;
With fayr speche thou myght have thy wylle,
With hyt thou myght thy selven spylle.
When thou metyst a worthy mon,
Cappe and hod thou holle not on;
Yn churche, yn chepyns, or yn the gate,
Do hym revera[n]s after hys state.
zef thou gost with a worthyor mon,

Then thyselven thou art won,

780

Let thy forther schuld sewe hys backe,
For that ys not withoute lacke;
When he doth speke, holte the stylle,
When he hath don, sey for thy wylle,
Yn thy speche that thou be felle,
And what thou sayst avyse the welle;
But byref thou not hym hys tale,
Nowther at the wyn, ny at the ale.
Cryst then of hys hye grace,

zeve zow bothe wytte and space,

790

Wels thys boke to conne and rede,
Heven to have for zowre mede!
Amen! amen! so mot hyt be!
Say we so alle per charyté.