George Washington's Rules of Civility eBook

Moncure Daniel Conway
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 98 pages of information about George Washington's Rules of Civility.

George Washington's Rules of Civility eBook

Moncure Daniel Conway
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 98 pages of information about George Washington's Rules of Civility.

     Chapter viii. 17.  Ne portez pas le morceau a la bouche, tenant le
     cousteau en la main, a la mode des villageois.

16.  Aussi ne semble-il bien seant de cracher les noyaux de prunes, cerises, ou autre chose semblable sur le plat; mais premierement on doit les recueiller decemment, comme il a este dit, en la main gauche, l’approchant a la bouche, & puis les mettre sur le bord de l’assiette.

[Sidenote:  Maxim 15 is much longer]

     15.  L’on ne doit point jetter sous la table, ou par terre, les os,
     les ecorces, le vin ou autre chose semblable.

Do not carry a morsel to your mouth, knife in hand, like the rustics. (16.) Moreover, it does not seem well bred to spit out the kernels of prunes, cherries, or anything of the kind, on your plate, but, as already said, they should be decently collected in the left hand (raised to the mouth), and placed on the edge of the plate. (15.) Bones, peel, wine, and the like, should not be thrown under the table.

96th.  Its unbecoming to Stoop much to one’s Meat Keep your Fingers clean & when foul wipe them on a Corner of your Table Napkin.

Chapter viii. 21.  Il est messeant de se baisser beaucoup sur son escuelle ou sur la viande, c’est assez de s’encliner vn peu lors que l’on porte le morceau trempe a la bouche, de crainte de se salir, & puis redresser la teste.
25.  Ne vous nettoyez pas les mains a vostre pain, s’il est entier; toutesfois les ayant fort grasses, il semble que vous les puissiez nettoyer premierement a vn morceau de pain que vous ayez a manger tout a l’heure & puis a la seruiette, afin de ne la point tant salir:  ce qui vous arriuera rarement, si vous scauez vous seruir de la cuilliere, & de la fourchette, selon le style des plus honnestes.  Beaucoup moins deuez vous lecher les doigts, principalement les succant auec grand bruit.
It is ill-bred to stoop too close to one’s porringer or the meat.  It suffices to bend a little when conveying a soaked morsel to one’s mouth, in order to avoid soiling oneself, then straighten up again. (25.) Do not clean your hands on a loaf; if very greasy you might, it would seem, partly clean them on a bit of bread you are about to eat, then on your napkin, so as not to soil the latter too much:  this will rarely happen if you know how to use spoon and fork in the most approved manner.  Much less should you lick your fingers, especially not suck them noisily.

[9]7th.  Put not another bit into your Mouth till the former be Swallowed let not your Morsels be too big for the jowls

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Project Gutenberg
George Washington's Rules of Civility from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.