In Chapter 30, you learned about the lives of Renaissance men and
women. What was life like for children during the Renaissance?
Children’s daily lives during the Renaissance depended to some extent on the
class they were born into. Peasant children were more likely to begin working
at an earlier age. Noble children, mostly boys, might spend more time learning
to read and write. In general, though, children dressed and were treated like
small adults.
Below are excerpts from Hugh Rhodes’
Boke of Nurture, published in
1577, which provided lessons in proper behavior. Which of these sayings do you
think you would find in a modern book of manners?
Reverence [honor] thy father and mother as Nature requires.
Rise early in the morning to be holy, healthy, and wealthy.
At dinner, press not thyself too high; sit in the place appointed thee.
Sup not loud of thy pottage [don’t sip your soup too loudly].
Dip not thy meat in the saltcellar [small container of salt], but take it with
a knife.
Eat small morsels of meat; eat softly, and drink mannerly.
Scratch not thy head with thy fingers, nor spit you over the table.
If your teeth be putrefied [rotten], it is not right to touch meat that others
eat.
Wipe thy mouth when thou shalt drink ale or wine on thy napkin only, not on the
tablecloth.
Blow not your nose in the napkin where ye wipe your hand.
Source
Renaissance, “Life in Elizabethan England: A Compendium of Common
Knowledge: Children and Childhood,”
http://renaissance.dm.net/compendium/40.html.
Investigating Primary Sources
Using Rhodes’
Boke of Nurture, create your own book of manners. Follow these steps:
| • |
Fold a sheet of paper in half to create your “book.” |
| • |
On the front cover, include a title and an appropriate visual. |
| • |
On each of the three remaining pages, highlight three manners. For
each page, choose a favorite saying from the list above and rewrite it in
easy-to-understand language. Add an illustration with a brief caption
explaining the illustration. |
History Alive! The Medieval World and Beyond, Investigating Primary Sources
