Symon’s Lesson of Wisdom for All Manner Children
All manner children, ye listen and hear
A lesson of wisdom that is written clear.
My child, I advise thee be wise, take heed of this rhyme,
Which old men in proverb said in old time:
“A child were better to be unborn
Than to be untaught and so to be lorn.”
The child that has his will alway,
Shall thrive late, I thee well say.
And therefore, every good man’s child,
That is too wanton and too wild,
Learn well this lesson certainly,
That thou the better man may be.
Child, I warn thee in all wise,
That thou tell truth and make no lies.
Child, be not froward, be not proud,
But hold up thy head and speak aloud;
And when any man speaketh to thee
Doff thy hood and bow thy knee.
And wash thy hands and thy face,
And be courteous in every place.
And when thou comest where is good cheer
In hall or bower, bid “God be here!”
Look thou cast to no man’s dog,
With staff nor stone at horse nor hog.
Look that thou not scorn nor jape
Neither with man, maiden nor ape.
Let no man of thee make plaint.
Swear not by God, neither by saint.
Look thou be courteous standing at meat,
And that men giveth thee, take and eat.
And look thou neither cry nor crave,
Saying, “That and that would I have!”
But stand thou still before the board,
And look thou speak no loud word.
And child, worship thy father and thy mother;
Look that thou grieve neither one nor other,
But ever, among them thou shalt kneel down,
And ask their blessing and benison.
And child, keep thy clothes fair and clean;
Let no foul filth on them be seen.
Child, climb not over house nor wall,310
For no fruit, birds nor ball.
Child, over men’s houses no stones fling,
Nor at glass windows no stones sling.
Nor make no crying, jokes, nor plays
In holy church on holy days.
And child, I warn thee of another thing,
Keep thee from many words and wrangling.
And child, when thou goest to play,
Look thou come home by light of day.
And child, I warn thee of another matter,
Look thou keep thee from fire and water.
Be ware and wise how that thou look
Over any brink, well, or brook.
And when thou standest at any schate311
Be ware and wise that thou catch no stake;
For many child without dread,
Through evil heed is deceived or dead.
Child, keep thy book, cap, and gloves,
And all thing that thee behoves.
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Child, be thou neither liar nor thief,
Be thou no meecher312 for mischief.
Child, make thou no mows nor knacks,313
Before no men nor behind their backs.
But be of fair semblance and countenance,
For by fair manners men may thee advance.
Child, when thou goest in any street,
If thou any good man or woman meet,
Avale314 thy hood to him or to her,
And bid “God speed, dame, or sir!”
And be they small or great thou hast met,
This lesson that thou not forget;
For it is seemly to every man’s child,
And mannerly, to clerks to be meek and mild.
And child, rise betimes and go to school,
And fare not as wanton315 fool;
And learn as fast as thou may and can,
For our bishop is an old man,
And therefore thou must learn fast,
If thou wilt be bishop when he is passed.316
Child, I bid thee on my blessing,
That thou forget not this for nothing;
But look, thou hold it well in thy mind,
For the best thou shalt it find.
For, as the wise man saith and proveth,
A wise child, lore he behoveth;
And as men say that learned be,
Who spareth the rod, the child hateth he;
And as the wise man saith in his book,
Of proverbs and wisdoms, who will look:
“As a sharp spur maketh a horse to move,
Under a man that should war prove,
Right so a yard may make a child,
To learn well his lesson and to be mild.”
Lo! children, here may ye all hear and see,
How all children chastised should be.
And therefore, childer, look ye do well,
And no hard beating shall you befall.
Thus may ye all be right good men,
God grant you grace so to preserve you! Amen.
[Quoth] Symon.