Chapter iii. 7.  S’il arriue que vous faciez la promenade auec eux, vous leur laisserez tousiours la place honorable, qui est celle qui sera marquee par l’vsage.  A parler generalement, il semble que plusieurs Nations ont passe en coustume que la droite soit tenue pour vne marque de reuerence, de telle soit, que quand quelq’vn veut deferer a un autre, il le mette a sa droicte, en prenant sa gauche.  Lors que trois hommes se promenent ensemble, le plus qualifie a tousiours le milieu:  Celuy qui tient la droite, a le second lieu, & l’autre qui reste a la gauche, n’a que le troisieme.  Mais en France, quand l’on se promene au long d’vn mur; par ce que ce lieu est presque toujours plus eleue & plus net a cause de sa pente, la coutume porte presque par tout qu’elle soit laissee au plus qualifie, & particulierement quand deux personnes marchent ensemble.

If you happen to take a walk with them, always give them the place of honour, which is that pointed out by usage.  To speak generally, it appears that several nations have made it a custom that the right should always be held as a mark of esteem, so that, when any one wishes to honour another, he will put him on his right, himself taking the left.  When three are walking together, he of the highest quality always has the middle:  he who takes the right has the second place, and the other who remains on the left has the third.  But in France, when walking by the side of a wall, that place being almost always higher and cleaner because of the slope, the custom almost always is that it be yielded to the man of the highest quality, and particularly when two are walking together.

31st.  If any one far Surpasses others, either in age Estate, or Merit [yet, in any particular instance,] would give Place to a meaner than himself [in his own house or elsewhere] the one ought not to except it, So [the other, for fear of making him appear uncivil, ought not to press] it above once or twice.

Chapter iii. 9.  Si celuy qui se trouuera beaucoup plus avance en age, ou auantage en dignite, soit en sa maison ou en quelqu’autre lieu, veut honorer son inferieur, comme il n’est pas a propos que cet inferieur s’en estime digne, de mesme aussi ne faut-il pas que celuy qui est superieur, l’en presse auec trop de soin, ou luy temoigne sa deference plus d’vne ou deux fois, de crainte que l’assiduite de sa supplication reiteree ne rabatte quelque chose de la bonne opinion que celuy qui le refuse, avoit conceu de son addresse & de sa courtoisie, ou qu’il luy fasse commettre enfin une inciuilite.

If he who is much the older, or has the advantage of rank, wishes, in his house or elsewhere, to honour his inferior, as it is not fitting that such inferior should think himself worthy, so also the superior must not press him too much or show such deference more than once or twice, lest the assiduity of his reiterated requests lower somewhat the good opinion which he who refuses, had conceived of his tact and courtesy, or lest, at last, it cause him to be guilty of some incivility.

32d.  To one that is your equal, or not much inferior you are to give the chief Place in your Lodging and he to who ’tis offered ought at the first to refuse it but at the Second to accept though not without acknowledging his own unworthiness