Chapter 26

grace. [a] Tell off three yeomen to wait at table. xiii. Tell the Steward to keep good order in the Hall, [b] and serve every one fairly.]

¶ The xiiij: c{om}maunde ȝe þ{a}t youre dysshe be well{e} fyllyd and hepid, and namely of ent{er}mes, and of pitance w{i}t{h}-oute fat, carkyng that ȝe may p{ar}te coureteysly to thoo that sitte beside, bothe of the ryght hande and the left, thorow all{e} the hie tabulle, and to other as plesyth{e} you, thowȝght they haue of the same that ye haue. At the sop{er} be s{er}uant{is} s{er}uid of oon messe, & byȝth met{is}, & aft{er} of chese. ¶ And yf the[r] come gest{is}, s{er}uice schall{e} be haued as nedyth{e}. ¶ The xv: co{m}maunde ye the officers that they admitte youre knowlechyd men, familiers frendys, and strangers, w{i}t{h} mery chere, the wh[i]che they knowen you to wille for to admitte and receyue, and to them the whiche wylle you worschipe, and [p. 197] they wylleñ to do that ye wylle to do, that they may know them selfe to haue be welcome to ȝou, and to be welle plesyd that they be come. ¶ And al so much{e} as ȝe may w{i}t{h}-oute p{er}il of sykenes & werynys ete ȝe in the halle afore ȝoure meyny,

¶ For that schall{e} be to ȝou p{ro}fyte and worshippe.

[Sidenotes: xiv. Have your dish well filled that you may help others to it.