Modern Midrealm Courtier

I am the very model of a modern Midrealm courtier
I’ve training of the gentleman, and artisan, and warrior

• The “Chorus” of the song to speak, this is not based off a specific trait but rather a general statement that the courtier must be a well-rounded individual.

My feats I do with slight as if they rather did come naturally

• To do his feates with a slight, as though they were rather naturally in him, then learned with studye: and use a Reckelesness to cover art, without minding greatly what he hath in hand, to a mans seeminge.

Yet never being light of head, nor thinking too fantastically

• Not to be given to vanitie and lightnesse, not to have a fantasticall head.

I’m very well acquainted too with service to their majesties
A student of protocols, sumptuary laws, and pageantry
Attending to my betters, I perform feats of field heraldry
With a bellow call attention of the masses, temporarily

• These lines are more referential to courtiers overall, and what services a SCA courtier may perform.
• Courtiers are the ones who know the ways of the court and maintain that level of pageantry, and would also include the clerks, attendants, and heralds of the court.

A servant to my lord I’ll see their words I never counteract

Combination of:

• To use evermore toward his Prince or Lorde the respect that beecommeth the servaunt toward his maister.
• To endevour himself to love, please and obey his Prince in honestye.

But I must disobey if told to dain to wickedness enact

• Not to commit any mischevous or wicked fact at the wil and commaundesment of his Lord or Prince.

For in the skills of gentleman, and artisan, and warrior
I am the very model of a modern Midrealm courtier!

• *Chorus*

I know our kingdom history, dukes Moonwulf and Cariadoc

• This is a SCA specific reference, playing off of the original line from “Modern Major General: “I know our mythic history, King Arthur and Sir Caradoc’s”

But never rash, I don’t presume to know the things that I know not

• Not to be rash, nor perswade hymselfe to knowe the thing that he knoweth not.

My ignorance I will confess when I see time and place thereto
Those qualities I know myself to have no manner skill to do

• To confesse his ignorance, whan he seeth time and place therto, in suche qualities as he knoweth him selfe to have no maner skill in.

Never shall I hazard feats of peril but small estimate

• Not to hasarde himself in forraginge and spoiling or in enterprises of great daunger and small estimation, though he be sure to gaine by it.

*’Lest* brought up by your betters, never claim to be the best of it!

• Not to praise himself unshamefully and out of reason.

I use not fond sauciness, for I keep an upright conscience

Combination of:

• Not to use any fonde saucinesse or presumption.
• To be an honest, a faire condicioned man, and of an upright conscience.

With virtues such as justice, courage, steadiness, and temperance

• To have the vertues of the minde, as justice, manlinesse, wisdome, temperance, staidenesse, noble courage, sober-moode, etc.

I’m rather good at tennis, swimming, vaulting, stones, to hunt and hawk

Combination of:

• To be nimble and quicke at the play at tenise.
• To swimme well.
• To vaute well.
• To cast the stone well.
• To hunt and hauke.

Yet take upon a maskerie if I wish others do not gawk

• To disguise himself in maskerie eyther on horsbacke or a foote, and to take the shape upon hym that shall be contrarie to the feate that he mindeth to worke.

For in the skills of gentleman, and artisan, and warrior
I am the very model of a modern Midrealm courtier!

• *Chorus*
  

I undertake bold feats and courageous enterprises in war

• To undertake his bould feates and couragious enterprises in warr, out of companye and in the sight of the most noble personages in the campe, and (if it be possible) beefore his Princis eyes.

Adorned with comly armor, scarves, trappings, and liveries galore

• To have in triumphes comelie armour, bases, scarfes, trappinges, liveries, and such other thinges of sightlie and meerie coulours, and rich to beehoulde, wyth wittie poesies and pleasant divises, to allure unto him chefflie the eyes of the people.

In private and in open shows I set out feats of chivalry

• To sett out himself in feates of chivalrie in open showes well provided of horse and harness, well trapped, and armed, so that he may showe himselfe nymeble on horsbacke.

At fencing I do triumph, but I duel with great civility

• To play well at fense upon all kinde of weapons.

At battle’s end I’ll strum and sing a ditty while the drinks are sipped

• To play upon the Lute, and singe to it with the ditty.

Then dance a contra without use of nimble foot or busy tricks

• To daunce well without over nimble footinges or to busie trickes.

Of strategy I will discuss while citing tales of battles bold.

• To be wise and well seene in discourses upon states.
  • (This trait basically means: “Understand basic military and political strategy, so that you can speak on the topic of local discourses.”)

But speak of matters likely, lest they call them lies and wonders told.

• To speake alwaies of matters likely, least he be counted a lyer in reporting of wonders and straunge miracles.

*Then* I shall recite an epic, spoke and written in the common tongue
For fancy made up vernacular phrases should be left unsung

• To speake and write the language that is most in use emonge the commune people, without inventing new woordes, inckhorn tearmes or straunge phrases, and such as be growen out of use by long time.

Yes in the skills of gentleman, and artisan, and warrior
I am the very model of a modern Midrealm courtier!

• *Chorus*
  

I play well at the dice and cards, not wholly for the money’s sake
And when I find myself in loss, I never move to fume and chafe

• To play for his pastime at Dice and Cardes, not wholye for monies sake, nor fume and chafe in his losse.

Maintaining comely wardrobes, dressing in the fashions of the most

Combination of:

• To be handesome and clenly in his apparaile.
• To make his garmentes after the facion of the most, and those to be black, or of some darkish and sad colour, not garish.

I sing the praises of the crown, but mine own acts I do not boast

• Not to crake and boast of his actes and good qualities.

I’m pleasantly disposed in commune matters and good company

• To be pleasantlie disposed in commune matters and in good companie.

Not playing any boorish pranks nor seen behaving drunkenly!

• Not to use sluttish and Ruffianlike pranckes with anye man.

I speak not ill of tongue, nor jest, to put one out of countenance

Combination of:

• Not to be ill tunged, especiallie against his betters.
• Not to beecome a jester of scoffer to put anye man out of countenance.

But rather speak a merry tale to bring a mood of esperance!

• To delite and refresh the hearers mindes in being pleasant, feat conceited, and a meerie talker, applyed to time and place.

In principles as these ye may move to improve thy statuses

• Not to love promotions so, that a man shoulde thinke he coulde not live without them, nor unshamefastlye to begg any office.
  • (The interpretation of this trait I have come to understand is that you may seek promotion and advancement, but it should not be your main motivator. It should be a reward for something you are already doing, but not the goal you are striving towards. Never demand to be placed in a higher station or proclaim your station is lowly.)

But never to seek to rise up through naughty or subtill practices

• Not to seeke to come up by any naughtie or subtill practise.

These are the traits of gentleman, and artisan, and warrior
I am the very model of a modern Midrealm courtier!

• *Chorus*