Page:Disciplina Clericalis (English translation) from the fifteenth century Worcester Cathedral Manuscript F. 172.djvu/60

  fallith or happenyth to a man than long to serve [the king] and no goode to geete nor purchace." [The] Fader: "Many of thynges now happenyth and cometh, and therfor the philosophre comaundith that noman overmoche tary with his kyng nor in his seruice." And another: "Who servith to the kyng without fortune so as I shal sey he leesith this world?" And the sone: "O fader, whi foryetest thow to tel how a man ought to ete tofore a kyng?" [The fader]: "I am nat foryetful to tel, forwhi no difference is to ete before a kyng and elliswhere." The sone: "Say therfor how everywher a man ought to ete." [The fader]: "With vnwasshen handis ne touche nor ete noon of thi lordis mete; ne ete thow no brede til ther come another dissh vpon the table, ne speke thow nat vnpaciently neither; only be ther noon grete embosyng put in thi Mowth, neither any crommes flowe or falle out; and also behave the that thow speke nat with swolowyng; nother swolow thow no morsel bifore that it be wele chewed in thi Mowth, lest thow be strangled; ne take neither mete ne drynk til thi Mowth be voide; ne speke thow nat envi[n]ously; ne speke thow nat while thow holdist anythyng in thi mowth, neither any thyng entre in to the throte in thyn inward arterie that myght be cause of thi deth; and if thow see any thyng in the dissh that pleasith the, ne take it nat bifore thi felaw lest he say the to be shrewissh and cherolissh. After mete wassh thyn handis, for it is phisik and curtesy; of this forsoth (f. 132b) the eyen of many men bien empeired that after mete wipen with vnwasshen handis." [The] Sone: "Whosoever biddith me to mete, what shal I aunswer? Shal I graunt or nat?" The fader: "Do thow as it is comaunded of the Jewis." He saith: "Forsoth whosumeuer biddith the, see thow the persone of the bidder. If he be a worthy and a notable persone, anon graunt thow hym. Than if he be nat after that it shalbe the thrid or the secunde tyme, and this is reherced of Habraham: Suche a day forsoth whan he stode bifore his yaate [he] sawe goyng vnder mannes liknes iii Angels, the whiche he praied to entre his house, their feete to wassh, refeccioun of mete to take, recreacioun and sport to make of their werynes; and thus he praied theym with an honest chiere. Thei