The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-09
HOME LIFE IN MIDDLE AGES.
How Young Women Were Trained
The Choice of Wife.


commence with the companion tracts,
''How the Good Wife Taught Her Daugh-
ter" and How the Wise Man Taught
His Son" Both of them date from the
fifteenth century, and both have been
edited by Mr. Furnivall. The daughter Is
advised that if She would be a wife she
must wisely work and look lovely
and not suffer the rain to hinder her from
hearing mass daily. She is to pay her
tithes and her offering gladly" and must
not 'Ioath the poor and the bedridden,"
but give to them freely Of her substance:
For seldom is that house poor where God
is steward.
Well He proveth
That the poor loveth,
My lief Child.
At church she is to IBID her bedes," 1.
G., say her prayers, and to make no
jangling to friend nor to sib." She is to
"scorn neither old body nor young but
TO ''be of good bearing and Of fair
tongue" If a su1tor presents himself she
IS not to "scorn' him, nor again to keep
the matter secret, but to consult her
friends; and the greatest care is to be
taken to avoid all occasion of sin:
Sit not by him, nor stand, where sin
might be wrought.
For a slanderOus raised i'll
Is evil for to STILL
My lief child.
When she has secured a good husband
she must love him and honor him most
Of earthly things" and answer him
meekly, not altering" d. e., a
shrew):
So mayest thou Stake his mood and be
his dear darling.
A fair word and meek
Doth wrathe Stake,
My lief child.
She is to keep her ''countenance," what
ever (of news and gossip she may hear,
and on no account to fare as a gigge'
q. e., to behave as a giggling GRID, but
when she laughs, Ito laugh soft and
mild" When she walks she is not to
"brandish" her head, nor to be too talk
ative, and by no means to swear, "for
all such manners come to an evil proof"
She is not to go "agaZe" into town, wan
dering from house to house; and when She
has sold her cloth she is not to repair
10 the tavern to spend the proceeds there.
But if she chance to be where good ale
Is on loft" she is to drink measurable
for it is a shame to be "often drunk. 4"
CThe word drunk" however must be
understood In a milder sense than that
which the word suggests in these days Of
gin palaces and drugged beer) She is to
avoid common shows, as, for instance,
wrestling matches and shooting at the
cock" and not to pick up acquaintance
in the street; but If any man should
speak to her she Is to greet him swift
"" and let him go his way. And "for
no cOYetise" must she accept a present
from any man.
She must govern her household wisely,
avoiding the extremes of harshness and
easiness; to consider well what needs to
be done, and to set her people there
TO, both rathely and SOON"
For ready is at need
A fore-done deed,
My lief Child.
L. i
against when the husband Is from home
and the housewife must not stint to bear
q hand herself in the household work
Everything is to be put away when work
is over and the mistress of the house
must keep her keys, and trust none bet
ter than herself, for no fair speech"
Wages are to be paid punctually and
servants are to be generously treated. If
q neighbours wife be richly attired, this
is not to be made an occasion for mock
ing" or "scorning," or for fever Of
Jealousy. "Brenne not as fer"
But thank God of heaven
For that He hath thee given,
My lief child.
She IS to work "housewifely" on work
days, for pride, rest and idleness maketh
unthriftineSs;" but on holy days let the
day be spent in worship, land God viii
love thee" NeiGhbors are to be loved
as God has commanded, and we must do
as we would be done by. The following
counsel deserves attention:
If any discord happen, by night or by
Make it no worse but mend it If thou
If She is rich she is to be hospitable to
her neighbors and to help the poor at
need
The writer next goes on to speak of the
right governance of children. CuFsIng and
harsh language are to be avoided, but the
rcd is to be diligently piled on occasion:
And if thy children rebel and will not
them bow
II any of them misdoeth neither han
them bloWe.
But take a smart rod and beat them in
a row,
Till they cry mercy and be of their guilt
a-know.
From their very birth 1.-The good wife,
advises her lief child to look forward
10 making provision for her own daugh-
tiers, chat when their time for wedding
comes none of them be lorn,' I. e., with
out a suitable wedding outfit. All these
counsels, she says, are traditional
Now have I taught thee as my mother
did me.
The wise father passes to the all-in,.
port&nt subject of marriage. Virtue,
he emphatically declares, is the wife
best dowry.
ana son, If thou would have a wife
rake her not for coVetiSe
But wisely inquire of all her life
AND take good heed, by mine advice
mhat she be meek, courteous and wise
though she be poor, take thou no heed
She will do thee more good service
Ihan richer when thou hast need
If she be of this sort she is not to he
charged grievously,' but to be ruled
fair ard easily" and cherished we'll for
ner good deed. For the exercise of alI.
thontY. If ''oVerd;,ne unSkillfully," ''Inakes
grief to grow where It's no need Better
Is homely meal with peace than a hun
cred dishes
With grucchinge and with muche care.
He is to take good care not to call his
WIFE by bad name; if he does It, no won.
Ger that others should follow suit and d.
likewise
But soft and fair a man NAV tame.
Both mart and hind and buck and doe
When once settled among his neighbors
he is advised to
BE not newfangil in no wise
Nor haSty for to change ne fit:
or men will say of him this foolc car
nowhere abide"
The whole duty of children to their
fellow men, according to medieval Eng
HSh notions, might be summed I'D in one
word, courtesy" Courtesy is the show
Ing of due respect to all persons accord.