85.

For hunger or thirst, Serue cattle well first. Dinner time. 1 By noone[E444] see your dinner, be readie and neate, let meate tarrie seruant, not seruant his meate. 2 Plough cattle a baiting, call seruant to dinner, the thicker togither, the charges the thinner. Togither is best, For hostis and gest. 3[1] Due season is best, altogither is gay, dispatch hath no fellow, make short and away. 4 Beware of Gill laggoose, disordring thy house, mo dainties who catcheth, than craftie fed mouse! Let such haue ynough, That follow the plough. 5 Giue seruant no dainties, but giue him ynough, too many chaps walking,[E445] do begger the plough. 6 Poore seggons halfe starued worke faintly and dull, and lubbers doo loiter, their bellies too full. Giue neuer too much, To lazie and such. 7 Feede lazie that thresheth a flap and a tap, like slothfull, that all day be stopping a gap. 8 Some litherly lubber more eateth than twoo, yet leaueth vndone that another will doo. Where nothing will last, Spare such as thou hast. 9 Some cutteth thy linnen, some spoileth[2] their broth, bare table to some doth as well as a cloth. 10 Treene dishes be homely, and yet not to lack, where stone is no laster take tankard and iack. Knap boy on the thums, And saue him his crums. 11 That pewter is neuer for manerly feastes, that daily doth serue so vnmanerly beastes. 12 Some gnaweth and leaueth, some crusts and some crums, eat such their own leuings, or gnaw their own thums. Serue God euer furst, Take nothing at wurst. Grace before and after meate. 13 At Dinner, at Supper, at morning, at night, giue thankes vnto God, for his gifts so in[3] sight. 14 Good husband and huswife, will sometime alone, make shift with a morsell and picke of a bone. Inough thou art tolde, Too much will not holde. 15 Three dishes well dressed, and welcome withall, both pleaseth thy friend and becommeth thine hall. 16 Enough is a plentie,[E446] too much is a pride, the plough with ill holding, goes quicklie aside.