FRANCIS SEAGER’S SCHOOL OF VIRTUE

The Author’s Name Inverted

S ay well some will by this my labour,

E very man yet will not say the same.

A mong the good I doubt not favour;

G od them forgive [that] for it me blame.

E ach man I wish [whom] it shall offend,

R ead and then judge, where fault is, amend.

Face aut Tace

First in the morning, when thou dost awake,

To God for His grace, thy petition then make.

This prayer following use daily to say;

Thy heart lifting up, thus begin to pray.

142

The Morning Prayer

“O God from whom all good gifts proceed,

To thee we repair in time of our need,

That with thy grace thou would’st us endue,

Virtue to follow and vice to eschew.

Hear this our request, and grant our desire,

O Lord, most humbly we do thee require.

This day us defend that we walking aright

May do the thing acceptable in thy sight;

That as we in years and body do grow,

So in good virtues we may likewise flow

To thy honour and joy of our parents,

Learning to live well and keep thy commandments,

In flying from all vice, sin and crime,

Applying our books, not losing our time,

May fructify and go forward here in good doing,

In this vale of misery unto our lives’ ending;

That after this life here transitory,

We may attain to greater glory.”

The Lord’s prayer then see thou recite,

So using to do, at morning and night.

143

How to Order Thyself when Thou Risest and in Apparelling thy Body

Fly ever sloth and overmuch sleep;

In health the body thereby thou shalt keep.

Much sleep engendereth diseases and pain,

It dulls the wit and hurteth the brain.

Early in the morning, thy bed then forsake,

Thy raiment put on, thyself ready make.

To cast up thy bed it shall be thy part,

Else may they say that beastly thou art;

So to depart and let the same lie,

It is not seeming nor yet mannerly.

Down from thy chamber when thou shalt go,

Thy parents salute thou, and the family also;

Thy hands see thou wash, and thy head comb,

And of thy raiment see torn be no seam;

Thy cap fair brushed, thy head cover then,

Taking it off, in speaking to any man.

Cato doth council thee thine elders to reverence,

Declaring thereby thy duty and obedience.

Thy shirt collar fast to thy neck knit;

Comely thy raiment look on thy body sit;

144Thy girdle about thy waist then fasten,

Thy hose fair rubbed, thy shoes see be clean.

A napkin see that thou have in readiness,

Thy nose to cleanse from all filthiness.

Thy nails, if need be, see that thou pare;

Thine ears keep clean, thy teeth wash thou fair.

If aught about thee chance to be torn,

Thy friends thereof show how it is worn,

And they will new for thee provide,

Or the old mend, in time being spied.

This done, thy satchell and thy books take,

And to the school haste see thou make.

But ere thou go, with thyself forethink.

That thou take with thee pen, paper and ink;

For these are things for thy study necessáry,

Forget not then with thee them to carry.

The soldier preparing himself to the field,

Leaves not at home his sword and his shield;

No more should a scholar forget then truly

What he at school should need to occupy.^[349]

These things thus had, take straight thy way,

Unto the school without any stay.

145

How to Behave Thyself in going by the Street and in the School

In going by the way, and passing the street,

Thy cap put off, salute those ye meet;

In giving the way to such as pass by,

It is a point of civility.

And thy way fortune so for to fall,

Let it not grieve thee thy fellows to call.

When to the school thou shalt resort,

This rule note well, I do thee exhort:

Thy master there being, salute with all reverénce,

Declaring thereby thy duty and obediénce;

Thy fellows salute in token of love,

Lest of inhumanity they shall thee reprove.

Unto thy place appointed for to sit,

Straight go thou to, and thy satchell unknit,

Thy bokes take out, thy lesson then learn,

Humbly thyself behave and govérn.

Therein taking pain, with all thine industry,

Learning to get, thy book well apply.

All things seem hard when we do begin,

But labour and diligence yet both them win;

146We ought not to reckon and count the thing hard,

That bringeth joy and pleasure afterward;

Leave off then labour and the lack rue,

Lament and repent when age doth ensue.

Deeds that deserved fame and great praise,

Buried had been, we see in old days,

If letters had not then brought them to light

The truth of such things who could now recite?

Apply thy mind to learning and science,

For learning in need will be thy defence.

Nothing to science compare we may well,

The sweetness whereof all things doth excel.

And Cato the wise this worthy saying hath,

That man wanting learning is as the image of death.

The roots of learning most bitter we deem;

The fruits at last most pleasant doth seem.

Then labour for learning while here thou shalt live,

The ignorant to teach, and good example give;

So shalt thou be thought a member most worthy

Thy commonwealth to serve in time of necessity.

Experience doth teach and show to thee plain

That many to honour by learning attain,

That were of birth but simple and base;

147Such is the goodness of God’s special grace.

For he that to honour by virtue doth rise,

Is double happy, and counted most wise.

If doubt thou dost, desire to be told,

No shame is to learn, being never so old;

Ignorance doth cause great errors in us

For wanting of knowledge doubts to discuss;

Then learn to discern the good from the ill,

And such as thee warn, bear thou good will.

When from the school ye shall take your way,

Or orderly then go ye, two in array,

Your selves matching so equal as ye may,

That men it seeing may well of you say

In commending this, your laudable ways,

Which must needs sound to your great praise,

Not running in heaps as a swarm of bees,

As at this day every man it now sees;

Not using, but refusing, such foolish toys,

As commonly are used in these days of boys,

As whooping and hallooing, as in hunting the fox,

That men it hearing deride them with mocks.

This foolishness forsake, this folly eschewing,

And learn to follow this order ensuing.

148In going by the way, neither talk nor jangle,

Gape not, nor gaze not at every new fangle,

But soberly go ye, with countenance grave;

Humbly yourselves toward all men behave;

Be free of cap and full of courtesy;

Great love of all men you shall win thereby.

Be lowly and gentle and of meek mood;

Then men can not but of you say good.

In passing the street, do no man no harm;

Use thou few words, and thy tongue charm,

Then men shall see that grace in thee groweth,

From whom virtues so abundantly floweth.

When thou art come where thy parents do dwell,

Thy leave then taking, bid thy fellows farewell;

The house then entering, in thy parents’ presénce,

Humbly salute them with all reverénce.

How to Behave Thyself in Serving the Table

When thy parents down to the table shall sit,

In place be ready, for the purpose most fit:

With sober countenance looking them in the face,

149Thy hands holding up, thus begin grace:

“Give thanks to God with one accord

For that shall be set on this board.

And be not careful what to eat;

To each thing living the Lord sends meat;

For food he will not see you perish,

But will you feed, foster, and cherish;

Take well in worth what he hath sent,

At this time be therewith content Praising God.”

So treatably^[350] speaking as possible thou can,

That the hearers thereof may thee understand.

Grace being said, low curtsey make thou,

Saying, “Much good may it do you!”

Of stature then if thou be able,

It shall become thee to serve the table,

In bringing to it such meat as shall need,

For thy parents upon that time to feed.

Dishes with measure thou oughtest to fill,

Else may’st thou happen thy service to spill,

On their apparel, or else on the cloth,

Which for to do would move them to wrath.

150Spare trenchers with napkins have in readiness,

To serve afterward, if there come any guests.

Be circumspect, see nothing do want,

Of necessary things that there be no scant,

As bread and drink, see there be plenty.

The voiders with bones oft see thou empty.

At hand be ready, if any do call,

To fetch or take up, if ought fortune to fall.

When they have done, then ready make,

The table up fair in order to take.

First the salt see that thou cover,

Having by thee either one or other

Things from thy hands then to convey,

That from the table thou shalt take away.

A voider upon the table thou have,

The trenchers and napkins therein to receive.

The crumbs with a napkin, together them sweep,

(It) at the table’s end in a voider them keep.

Then before each man a clean trencher lay,

The best first serving, as judge thou soon may.

Then cheese with fruit on the table set,

With biscuits or caraways, as you may get.

Wine to them fill, else ale or beer;

151But wine is meetest, if any there were.

Then on the table attend with all diligénce,

It for to void, when done have thy parénts.

Each side of the cloth do thou turn in;

Folding it up, at the higher end begin.

A clean towel then on the table spread,

The towel wanting, the cloth take instead.

The basin and ewer to the table then bring,

In place convenient their pleasure abiding.

When thou shalt see them ready to wash,

The ewer take up, and be not too rash

In pouring out water more than will suffice.

The table then void that they may rise.

All things thus done, forget not thy duty,

Before the table make thou low curtsey.

How to Order Thyself Sitting at the Table

O children, give ear your duties to learn,

How at the table you may yourselves govérn.

Presume not too high, I say, in no case;

In sitting down, to thy betters give place.

Suffer each man first servéd to be;

152For that is a point of good courtesy.

When they are served, then pause a space,

For that is a sign of nurture and grace.

Salt with thy knife then reach and take,

The bread cut fair, and do not it break.

Thy spoon with pottage too full do not fill,

For [de]filing the cloth, if thou fortune to spill.

For rudeness it is thy pottage to sup,

Or speech to any, his head in the cup.

Thy knife see be sharp to cut fair thy meat,

Thy mouth not too full when thou dost eat;

Not smacking thy lips, as commonly do hogs,

Nor gnawing the bones as it were dogs;

Such rudeness abhor, such beastliness fly,

At the table behave thyself mannerly.

Thy fingers see clean that thou ever keep,

Having a napkin thereon them to wipe;

Thy mouth therewith clean do thou make,

The cup to drink in hand if thou take,

Let not thy tongue at the table walk,

And of no matter neither reason nor talk.

Temper thy tongue and belly alway,

For “measure is treasure,” the proverb doth say,

153And measure in all things is to be used;

What is without measure ought to be refused.

For silence keeping thou shalt not be shent,^[351]

Whereas thy speech may cause thee repent.

Both speech and silence are commendáble,

But silence is meetest in a child at the table.

And Cato doth say, that “in old and young

The first of virtue is to keep thy tongue.”

Pick not thy teeth at the table sitting,

Nor use at thy meat overmuch spitting;

This rudeness of youth is to be abhorred;

Thyself mannerly behave at the board.

If occasion of laughter at the table thou see,

Beware that thou use the same moderately.

Of good manners learn so much as thou can;

It will thee prefer when thou art a man.

Aristotle, the philosopher, this worthy saying writ,

That “manners in a child are more requisite

Than playing on instruments and other vain pleasure;

For virtuous manners is a most precious treasure.”

Let not this saying in no wise thee offend,

154For playing of instruments he doth not discommend,

But doth grant them for a child necessary,

Yet manners much more, see here he doth vary.

Refuse not his counsel, nor his words despise;

To virtue and knowledge by them may’st thou rise.

How to Order Thyself in the Church

When to the church thou shalt repair,

Kneeling or standing, to God make thee prayer.

All worldly matters from thy mind set apart,

Earnestly praying, to God lift up thy heart.

A contrite heart He will not despise,

Which He doth count a sweet sacrifice.

To Him thy sins show and confess,

Asking for them grace and forgiveness.

He is the physician that knoweth thy sore,

And can to health again thee restore.

Ask then in faith, not doubting to have;

The things ye desire, ye shall them receive;

So they be lawful of God to require,

He will thee hear and grant thy desire.

More merciful He is than pen can express,

The author and giver here of all goodness.

155“All ye that labour and burdenéd be,

I will you refresh in coming to Me.”

These are Christ’s words, the Scripture is plain,

Spoken to all such as here suffer pain.

Our wills to His word then let us frame,

The heavenly habitation thereby we may claim.

In the church comely thyself do behave,

In usage sober, thy countenance grave.

While you be there, talk of no matter,

Nor one with another whisper nor chatter.

Reverently thyself order alway,

When to the church thou shalt come to pray.

Each thing hath his time, consider the place,

For that is a token of virtue and grace.

The Lord doth call it the house of prayer,

And not to be used as is a fair.

[This is followed by a series of moral instructions, omitted partly because they do not primarily belong in this book, and partly for lack of space. They are entitled:—

The Fruits of Gaming, Virtue, and Learning (sic).

How to Behave thyself in Talking with any Man.

156How to Order thyself, being sent of Message.

Against Anger, Envy and Malice.

The Fruits of Charity, Love and Patience.

Against the Horrible Vice of Swearing.

Against the Vice of Filthy Talking.

Against the Vice of Lying.]

A Prayer to be Said when Thou Goest to Bed

O merciful God, hear this our request,

And grant unto us this night quiet rest.

Into thy tuition, O Lord, do us take,

Our bodies sleeping, our minds yet may wake.

Forgive the offences this day we have wrought,

Against thee and our neighbour, in word, deed, and thought,

And grant us thy grace henceforth to fly sin,

And that a new life we may now begin.

Deliver and defend us this night from all evil,

And from the danger of our enemy, the devil,

Which goeth about seeking his prey,

And by his craft whom he may betray.

Assist us, O Lord, with thy Holy Sprite,

That valiantly against him we may ever fight,

157And winning the victory, may lift up our voice,

And in His strength faithfully rejoice,

Saying, “To the Lord be all honour and praise,

For His defence, both now and always!”

[The book concludes with The Duty of each Degree briefly Declared, and the motto,

Famam virtutis mors abolire nequit, quod F.S.]