soule hee formed thée into a right shape and nourished thée miraculously euen in thy mothers wombe He gaue vnto thy parents after thy birth a tender louing care ouer thée to cherish thée in thy helplesse infancie he hath giuen and still giueth vnto things growing from the earth vertue and power to nourish and sustaine thée He maketh thy hands and diuers parts of thée delighted with féeling thy mouth with tasting thy nose with smelling thyne eyes with séeing and thine eares with hearing Thy hart also he maketh full of ioy and gladnes and that which passeth all the residue hee giueth vnto thy soule if thou walke in his feare a taste in this life of the endlesse and vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen Consider with the aforesaid benefites how he hath reléeued thée from time to time and made thée grow stronger and stronger and wiser and wiser and still assureth thée thorough hope that he will daily more more multiply his graces in thée if thou endeuor to doo well If then thou meditate wel on Gods wonderfull wisedome and power shewed in hys benefites bestowed vppon thee thou shalt finde in thy selfe as it were a little beautifull world of Gods glorious workmanship To God therefore to whom thou art most bound nay to whom thou owest thy selfe and all that thou hast yeeld all dutie studying to liue according to his lawes so as thou maist best please him that is best manners But forasmuch as thou must learne in euerie particular action how to liue godly partly by hearkening to good instructions of parents and teachers partly by hearing reading and meditating on Gods word chiefly by the inspiration and direction of Gods holy spirit which must daily bee craued for by earnest praier all which cannot be sufficiently handled in this short Treatise I will now hasten to my purposed instruction touching thy manners and behauiour among men Vnderstand therefore O childe that by reason of original sin corrupting thy nature thou art but as an vntilled péece of ground apt to bring forth nothing that is good Daily experience sheweth thée how the Earth yéeldeth itselfe a most bountifull and kinde mother in bringing forth brambles and vnprofitable wéedes nourishing the same most liberally but corne and hearbes best for mens vse and necessitie it hardly reléeueth nourisheth after much painfull plowing or digging diligent and carefull sowing setting or planting and continuall wéeding showing it selfe vnto them an vnkinde and cruell stepmother Euen so thy corrupt nature most plentifully bringeth forth willingly nourisheth and cockereth in thée all vices and euill manners but vertuous and right commendable manners it hardly admitteth to be planted in thée and practised of thée after much carefull tilling and digging vp by the rootes of the weedes of wickednes and ill behauiour and the diligent sowing setting and planting of ciuill and good behauiour endeuoured by thy tender parents and vigilant teachers Let then thy industrious diligence concurre with the sage instructions of thy teachers and knowing thy selfe to be ignorant of manie things which they know be readie to heare and diligent to practise what good they shall propose so shall theyr documents doo thee good and thou shalt bee delighted in that which is good and seemely forsaking filthie rude and corrupt manners and fashions The chiefest cause that hindereth manie Children from the practise of good manners is for that they esteeme themselues to know sufficiently how to behaue themselues when as indeed they know not at all or at least regard not to obserue that which for their tender yeres is comely or to flye that which in them is most vnseemely in anie poynt But reiecting such head-strong carelesnesse suspend thou thine owne iudgement and submit thy selfe dutifully to the good direction of thy discreets aduised Gouernours and skilfull learned Teachers and still bee sure to eschue with all diligence whatsoeuer thou shalt be admonished to be ill beséeming thee or hearest or seeest to be noted vnseemely in other And see thou marke héedfully and imitate rightly all good manners taught thée or whatsoeuer behauiour praise-worthie that thou shalt sée in another Beware therefore of vngodly and ill mannered children how thou accompanie thy selfe with them but with the vertuous and well nurtured let thy fellowship bee for of a vertuous and industruous yong age commeth an honourable or at least a commendable olde age But now to our purpose The tung is called the interpreter of the minde and the behauiour may bee rightly tearmed the true image of a man for by the manners are liuely represented the habit of the minde and disposition of man And according to the behauiour so is the partie iudged of and by the same he getteth either credite or discredite Learne thou then in childhood so to behaue thy selfe as with the best thou maist winne praise Which manners although they cannot bee so largelye taught by preceptes in each perticular as by an industrious practise of him that will bee diligent to obserue they maye bee learned perfectly yet for the instruction of those that haue willing mindes to learne and small meanes to attaine I haue thought good to set downe these few rules to be followed In méeting with anie person that is thy better as thou art to estéeme all thine Elders thy betters sée thou giue him the way and putting off thy hat vse a reuerent show in countenance or maner of gréeting to him And if he bee some Man of authoritie a Minister of Gods word any of thy Parents thine Vncle or Aunt or thy Schoolemaster looke that thou boow also thy right knée somwhat in thy saluting of them Let it be farre from thée to reason thus What should I shew duetie or reuerence to one that I knowe not or to him that neuer did nor is like to doo me anie good For God by Salomon commaundeth thée to rise vp and make obeysaunce before thine Elders Age is honorable and commaunded of God to bee honoured nay it is a signe of Gods great lasting fauour and of euerlasting life in heauen To despise it is then to despise Gods fauorable mercie and louing kindnes toward thy selfe and others God by S. Paule commandeth also that double honour bee giuen to the Ministers of his Word And as for those in authoritie as Princes and all Magistrates c. S. Paule saith plainly that to despise thē is to despise Gods ordinance he speaking of heathen vnchristian Princes and Magistrates How much dutie then owe wee to those Princes Magistrates that indeuour to shewe themselues the faithfull lieuetenants of God on earth commanding and ruling according to Gods owne will and séeking our good both of soule and bodie The nerest dutie that thou in thy childhood owest priuately next vnto God is to thy parents which are the instrumentall causes of thy beeing without them thou hadst neuer been begotten nor borne without their tender loue and carefull prouiding for thée thou hadst neuer béen reléeued nor fostered in
thy infansie when thou wast of thy self quite helples they still prouide thée of all necessaries and labour so to mainteine thée and bring thée vp in learning and knowledge of good arts that thou maiest be able heareafter to lyue in credit as a man among men Which benefits receiued of thy parents thou canst neuer be able in any sort to recompence them Bee then diligent to please and readye to be ruled by them of whome thou hast thy being and all thou hast whom God hath made so able and willing to bring forth to helpe and doo thée good and whose kindenes so farre excedeth all that thou canst deserue Next to thy parents thou art nearely bound in duetie to thy Schole-maisters and teachers who are as spirituall Parents to beget and bring forth in thée vertues and all Godlines and who indeuor to nourish thée and to make thée grow vp stronger stronger in knowledge learning and wisedome vntill thou become a perfect man A certain duetie and reuerence saint Paul also willeth to be vsed to equals thou then beeing a childe must bee carefull to vse good behauiour in manners and curtesie euen towardes thy equals and companions And know that hee that sheweth himselfe most curteous and well mannered among his equalls is so farre from sustaining anie discredite thereby that he getteth thereby the good-will and commendations of all his familiars In speaking to thy superiors vse not manie words and let those words thou speakest be vttered with reuerence both of speach and countenance When thou speakest to thine equalls let thy countenance be amiable and thy speach familiar and frendly Shamefastnes is a Vertue beséeming a childe so as it be moderate for as to be brazen-faced and shameles is a vice so to bee ouer bashfull and ashamed to shew his face is a fault also If anie honorable man or one of great account offer to take thée by the hand before thou deliuer him thy hand kisse lightly the fore-finger of thy right hand then deliuering him thy hand boow modestly first thy right knée after thy left and humblye boow thy bodie withall alwaies when he speaketh to thée or thou art about to aunswere him boow thy right knée once modestly If he continue talking with thée looke thou stil modestly on him not moouing thine eyes much but beware thou stare not too much in his face for that were a shameles and most vnmannerly part Neither let thy lookes be too much hanging downe for that were péeuish and a signe of one hauing a guilty conscience To looke askew with thine eyes cast aside were a signe of one imagining some mischiefe To tosse thy sight or turne thy face thys way and that way were a signe of a foolish and vnconstant minde It is also a fowle and vnséemely thing for thée to make faces in wrything thy visage into diuers formes or to rub one while thy nose another while thy forhead or one while to lift vp thine eye browes another while to pull them down too much or to patter with thy lips or one while to thrust out thy mouth too much another while to pul it in ouer-much or to shake thy head or to cough vnles thou be there too inforced or to spet oft or to scratch thy head to picke thine eares or to blow thy nose or to smoothe thy face with thine hand as if thou wouldest wype away shamefastnes from thée to bee picking or rubbing thy neck as if thou wert lowsie or to clyng in thy shoulders as some Italians vse All these are euill In standing thus before thy betters hold thy hat in thy left hand with both thy hands mannerly before thée for to hold thy hat or booke vnder thine arme-pit in standing so were clownish As thou art thus standing in talke thou maist not winke with thine eyes nod at anie bodie nor turne away thy head If were an ill fauoured thing thus standing to play with thine armes to vse apish toyes with thy fingers or to be short not to séeme for to speake with thy tung but with thy whole bodie Let thy voice be gentle and soft and therewith deliberate not too quicke nor too slow nor too high for that were clownish nor too low but it may easilie be vnderstood Let not thy spéech be too hastie as I said but let it goe with thy vnderstanding and be vttered so leysurely as it may well be vnderstood for manie are so rash in speaking that they make themselues soone windlesse and forget halfe of that which they should haue spoken besides that it bringeth them to an ill habit of stutting and stammering which might haue bin avoided if héedefull deliberation had béene vsed in their childhood In speaking to any Honorable or Worshipfull person it is good manners to repeat nowe and then the title of his Honour or Worship There is no name should bee of greater account nor more deare than that of Father and Mother nor none more louing and friendlie than the name of brother sister If thou be ignorant of the titles of dignities of each estate know that Lordes are honourable Knights chiefe Gentlemen worshipfull and vse to anie man séeming of anie good account this title Sir c. It is a most shamefull thing for a childe to bee heard sweare either in test or in earnest A like shame it is for them to vtter any word of ribandrie or filthie spéech nay they must not abide to heare anie such filthinesse But in manie places now a daies all feare of God and care of modestie set a side children euen from their infancie are delighted in these abhominable euils which they ought most of all things to abhorre If thou bee driuen to name anie vncleane or dishonest thing in spéech vse first this preamble sauing your honour sauing your worship or to meane persons sauing your reuerence Beware that thou once name not much les that thou shew any secret part of thy bodie which nature willeth to be kept hidden and secret Beware howe thou gainesay anie thing spoken by thy elders if thou hearest them affirme anie thing that thou knowest to bée contrarie to their saying if thou bee driuen to reply vnto their spéeches denie not flatlye their spéeches but curteouslie first say with your fauoure Sir I knowe the matter to stand thus or thus or I haue heard Sir that it is thus or so Nay it is euill and vnséemely for thée to giue the lye to thine equalls or fellowes A well mannered childe will neuer quarrell nor brabble with anie but will rather either put vp wrong or commit the matter to arbitrement Thou must not boast nor extoll thy self aboue other thou must not finde fault wyth the dooings of another Be not hastie to reproue other Tattle not abroad whatsoeuer thou hearest Backbite no bodie Disdaine not another for whatsoeuer infirmity or vncomelines Nature affoordeth him knowing that God could also haue made thée more vgly than a toad but
Take héed thou powt not out thy mouth for that is ill fauoured and beastly Neyther make a pohing with thy mouth in companie as men doo passing by some stinking place To laugh at euery thing betokeneth a foole neither maist thou laugh a lowd at any thing nor stirre and shake thy body in laughing in a cause of greate laughter thou must smile and shewe a modest ioyfullnes But beware thou laugh not at any ribawdrie or filthie knauerie nor once smile thereat Too earnest violent laughter is séemly for no age but most vnséemly for children Some laugh so vnreasonably that therewith they set out their téeth like grinning dogs make wry mouths and disfigure their faces But flie thou such dissolute and vnmannerly fashions These are wordes of fooles to say I was like to be pisse my selfe with laughing I had almost burst with laughing I was like to haue died with laughing or I had almost sounded with laughing If so great a cause of laughter bee offered that thou cannot choose but laugh out thou must hide thy face with a napkin or with thy hand To laugh alone or without cause is accounted foolishnes yet if at some conceit thou smile to thy selfe it is the more tollerable if thou canst readilie yéeld a sufficient cause therefore To bite the nether lip is a vile vnmannerly part for that is the signe of a furious mā or such a one that is spitefull threatning like euil is it to bite the vpper lip and as vnmannerly is it to lick out the tung aboue or below the lips or on ether side of the mouth It was in times past holden a grace or good fashion amongst the Dutchmen to put out their lips somwhat as if they were readie to kisse but that is holden for a bad fashion now a dayes To mocke anie bodie by blabbering out the tung is the part of wag-halters leand boyes not of well mannered children When thou spittest turne thy face aside and beware that thou spittest not vpon anie bodie nor before any bodies sight If thou hast spet anie thing vppon the ground that is fowle to be séene tread it out quickly least it offend anie bodies sight If thou be where thou canst not turne from the companie receiue thy spettle with thy hand-kerchiefe from thy mouth verye closely It is a beastly thing to vse spitting often as some doo by a lewd custome not for néed Some likewise vse still coughing and humming almost at euerie word they speake as if they were still forging a lye that wold not frame All such fowle fashions must thou warily eschew Some others get a filthy custome in theyr childhood to rospe and make as though they would breake winde vpward still in theyr talke vse the same vntill their age whereof Clitipho in Terence was reprooued by a seruant But if thou bee forced to cough cough a side and beware thou cough in no bodies face neither rospe nor breake wind in any companie as neare as thou can especially eschew it in talke If thou be driuen to vomit get thée aside out of companie least thou make the stomacks of other to loath thée and they iudge thée a glutton or drunkard Kéepe thy téeth cleane by rubbing them and thy Gummes euerie morning afore thou rise with a linnen cloth for that is most holsome As for powder to make them white leaue that to nise maides To vse rubbing much with salt or allume doth fret the gummes And as for washing them with Vrine leaue that to the Spaniards If there bee any thing hanging in thy téeth get it not out with thy knife nor with thy nailes like Cats and Dogs nor with a napkin but with the point of a toothpicker made either of some fine piece of woode or of a quill or of the little bones taken out of a Capons legge It is estéemed comely and holsome to wash the mouth with faire water once in the morning but to vse the same oft in a day is foolish and vnséemelie Of vsage of the tung we will speake in another place It is both a thing clownish and vnholsome to goe vnkembd I speake of kembing for cleanlynesse for auoyding lice and nits c. not of chrisping curling and laying our locks like wanton yong women To vse to scratch the head in presence of others is both slouenly and euill and so is it to vse scratching or rubbing thy bodie Let not the haire of thy head hang in thine eies nor on thy shoulders Shake not much thy head nor strout it not too much out with bridling in thy chin for that is more comely for great Horses than for thée yet must thou remember to carry thy head vpright in a modest sort To pull in thy head thrust vp thy shoulders were the part of a slouthfull slouen To bowe in thy backe thrusting out thy bellie is foolish proud gesture and verie vnséemely but to goe with thy body strait vp is comely and commendable Let not thy heade hang lolling on one side nor other for that sheweth either a foole or an hypocrite Thou must beare thy shoulders euen with an equall counterpois not thrusting vp the one and downe with the other like Antikes for many children practising such Apish and vnséemely toyes make their bodies grow crooked for euer become thereby deformed and ill fashioned in their whole bodie beyond nature Some also by crooking out their shoulders and stooping with their backs get such a custome in their childhoode as they growe crooked for euer and cannot by any meanes goe strait againe when they would The bodies of children are like tender plants which may bee made to grows strait with héede and propping But without regard had those that by nature are disposed to be most strait will soone grow crooked or some waies deformed When thou sittest let thy knées be neare together and thy féete not farre asunder But whether thou sittest or standest beware thou settest not thy féete too wide at the toes for the vse thereof will make thée splay-footed Neither vse to tread thy shooes awry Sit not nor stand with thy legs a crosse nor with one legge cast ouer the other It was indéede an auncyent fashion of Kings to sit with the right foot cast ouer the lefte thigh but that is reproued in children In Italy some vse to set one foot vpon the other like a Storke but that is not comely for children To make a leg bowing thy knée handsomly vnto thy beters thou art bound of dutie but if it be not doon orderly it disgraceth thée Some vse to bow both knées togither holding their bodies straight but that is for women girles for a aman or boy it is holden in England for the best manners when they make obeysance to their superiors to bow modestly first the right knée and then the left And this obeisance must thou obserue as ofte as thou méetest or talkest with or receyuest any thing at the