Early English meals and manners : with some forewords on education in early England / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

Date:
1868. [Reprinted 1894, 1904]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Early English meals and manners : with some forewords on education in early England / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    25/524
    the hoole yere ” aud “ Haunsmen ande Yong Gentlemen at tliir FrjTides fynding v[j] (As to say, Hanshmen iij. And Yong Gentle- men iij ” p. 254,) no doubt for the purpose of learning manners, &c. And that such youths would be found in the house of every noble of importance I believe, for as ^Yalter Mapes (1 ab. 1160-90 a.d.) says of the great nobles, in his poem De diversis ordinibus hominum, the example of manners goes out from their houses. Exemplar morum domibiis procedit eorum. That these houses were in some instances only the finishing schools for our well-born young men after previous teaching at home and at College is possible (though the cases of Sir Thomas More and Ascham are exactly the other way), but the Lord Percy last named had a schoolmaster in lus house, “ The Maister of Graimer j ”, p. 254 ; “ Lyverays for tlie Maister of Gramer * in Housholde : Item Half a Loof of Houshold Breide, a Pottell of Beere, and two White Lyghts,” p. 97. “Every Scolemaister techyng Grammer in the Hous C s.” (p. 47, 51). Edward IV.’shenxmen were taught grammar; and if the Pastons are to be taken as a type of their class, our nobles and gentry at the end of the 15 th century must have been able to read and write freely. Chaucer’s Squire could Avrite, and though the custom of sealing deeds and not signing them prevailed, more or less, tdl Henry VIII.’s time, it is doubtful whether this implied inability of the sealers to write. Mr Chappell says that in Henry VIII.’s time half our nobility were then writing ballads. StiU, the bad spelling and grammar of most of the letters up to that period, and the general ignorance of our upper classes were, says Professor Brewer, the reason why the whole government of the countrj' was in the hands of ecclesiastics. Even in Henry the Eighth’s Item, Gentillmen in Housholde ix, Viz. ij Carvers for my Loords Boorde, and a Servant bitwixt theym both, except thai be at their fret^dis fyndyng, and than ather of theym to have a Servant.—Two Sewars for my Lordis Boorde, and a Servant bitvnxt theym, except they be at their Friendis fyndyrye, and than ather of theym to have a Servant.—ij Cupberers for my Lorde and my Lady, and a Servant allowed bitwixt theym, except they be at their Frendis fyndynge. And than ather of theym to have a Servant allowid. Under the next heading “ My Lordis Han.smen at the fyndynge of my Lorde, and Yonge Gentyllmen at there Freitdys fyndynge,” is Item, my Lordis Ilansmen iij. Yonge Gentyllmen in Houshold at their Frendis fyndynge ij = v. ' Grammar usually means Latin. T. Wright.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3