School For Manners
Sep. 17th, 2009 11:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ismeninI was listening to the radio the other day, and they announced a forthcoming programme called 'Cross Incontinence'. Sounded interesting, I thought, thinking of my own brushes with the subject, on occasion, so I decided to leave the radio on, and listen to it.
As the evening wore on, several announcers mentioned the programme, and one said 'we will be visiting Egypt to discuss the urgent matter there.' I had missed what urgent matter it was, because I was visiting the loo - which I thought apposite! ;D
Anyway, at 9pm, the programme started, and I was hysterical, because it was actually called 'Crossing Continents'. None of the four announcers had been - despite all having a proper BBC accent - able to separate the words!
I listened anyway.
I wanted to share some things from a little book I have called 'The School of Manners, or Rules for Children's Behaviour', written in the 1600's for boys. This version published in 1701.
Are you fed up with the manners of modern youth? Read what they were being taught then, and compare it with now. And laugh - ironically.
I have put modern spelling, because all those f's for s's can be tedious.
After a lengthy introduction about the failing manners of youth comes...
Chapter One.
Short and Mixt Precepts
1. Fear God
2. Honour the King
3. Reverence thy Parents
4. Submit to thy Superiors
5. Despise not thy inferiors
6. Be courteous with thy Equals
7. Pray daily and devoutly
8. Converse with the Good.
9. Imitate not the wicked.
10. Let not Play Entice Thee
11. Be always Cleanly
12. Covet future Honour which only virtue and Wisdom can procure.
Chapter III - Of Behaviour at Home... (are your kids and grandkids listeniing? :D)
Always bow at coming home, and be immediately uncovered. (Take your hat off!!!)
Be never covered at home, especially before thy Parents or Strangers.
Never sit in the presence of thy Parents without bidding.
If thou pass by thy Parents, or by any place where thou seest them, bow towards them.
If thou be going to speak to thy Parents, and see them engaged in Discourse, or Company, draw back, and leave thy business til afterwards; but if thou Must speak, be sure to whisper.
Never speak to thy parents without some title of respect, My Lord, my Lady, Sir, Madam, Forsooth, etc. According to their Quality.
Approach thy Parents at No Time without a bow.
Go not forth of doors without thy Parents leave, and return within the time by them set.
Use respectful and courteous language towards the Servants.
Quarrel not with the Brethren or Sistren, but live in Love, Amity and Unity.
Bear with meekness, and without murmuring or sullenness, thy Parents Reproofs or Corrections, even though they may be causeless, or undeserved.
At the Table...Sam, are you listening? (a VERY fussy eater, our Sam.)
Ask not for anything, but tarry till it be offered thee.
Find not fault with any thing that is given thee.
Eat everything that is offered to the. Do not move the food about upon thy plate or trencher, and examine it.
Feed thyself with thy two fingers, and the Thumb of the Left Hand.
If thou want any thing from the Servants, call to them softly.
(there are dozens of precepts offered in this book, but my favourites are. (in Company)'Spit not in the Room, but in a corner, and rub it out with thy foot' and ' Put not thy hand to any part of thy body not ordinarily Discovered." Shriek.
There are more, should anyone wish to read of them at a later date. Ah, the old days! :D
Gainsbrough's The Blue Boy. Click for the biggah!
As the evening wore on, several announcers mentioned the programme, and one said 'we will be visiting Egypt to discuss the urgent matter there.' I had missed what urgent matter it was, because I was visiting the loo - which I thought apposite! ;D
Anyway, at 9pm, the programme started, and I was hysterical, because it was actually called 'Crossing Continents'. None of the four announcers had been - despite all having a proper BBC accent - able to separate the words!
I listened anyway.
I wanted to share some things from a little book I have called 'The School of Manners, or Rules for Children's Behaviour', written in the 1600's for boys. This version published in 1701.
Are you fed up with the manners of modern youth? Read what they were being taught then, and compare it with now. And laugh - ironically.
I have put modern spelling, because all those f's for s's can be tedious.
After a lengthy introduction about the failing manners of youth comes...
Chapter One.
Short and Mixt Precepts
1. Fear God
2. Honour the King
3. Reverence thy Parents
4. Submit to thy Superiors
5. Despise not thy inferiors
6. Be courteous with thy Equals
7. Pray daily and devoutly
8. Converse with the Good.
9. Imitate not the wicked.
10. Let not Play Entice Thee
11. Be always Cleanly
12. Covet future Honour which only virtue and Wisdom can procure.
Chapter III - Of Behaviour at Home... (are your kids and grandkids listeniing? :D)
Always bow at coming home, and be immediately uncovered. (Take your hat off!!!)
Be never covered at home, especially before thy Parents or Strangers.
Never sit in the presence of thy Parents without bidding.
If thou pass by thy Parents, or by any place where thou seest them, bow towards them.
If thou be going to speak to thy Parents, and see them engaged in Discourse, or Company, draw back, and leave thy business til afterwards; but if thou Must speak, be sure to whisper.
Never speak to thy parents without some title of respect, My Lord, my Lady, Sir, Madam, Forsooth, etc. According to their Quality.
Approach thy Parents at No Time without a bow.
Go not forth of doors without thy Parents leave, and return within the time by them set.
Use respectful and courteous language towards the Servants.
Quarrel not with the Brethren or Sistren, but live in Love, Amity and Unity.
Bear with meekness, and without murmuring or sullenness, thy Parents Reproofs or Corrections, even though they may be causeless, or undeserved.
At the Table...Sam, are you listening? (a VERY fussy eater, our Sam.)
Ask not for anything, but tarry till it be offered thee.
Find not fault with any thing that is given thee.
Eat everything that is offered to the. Do not move the food about upon thy plate or trencher, and examine it.
Feed thyself with thy two fingers, and the Thumb of the Left Hand.
If thou want any thing from the Servants, call to them softly.
(there are dozens of precepts offered in this book, but my favourites are. (in Company)'Spit not in the Room, but in a corner, and rub it out with thy foot' and ' Put not thy hand to any part of thy body not ordinarily Discovered." Shriek.
There are more, should anyone wish to read of them at a later date. Ah, the old days! :D
Gainsbrough's The Blue Boy. Click for the biggah!
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no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 12:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 12:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 01:22 pm (UTC)*whispers* Forsooth, dearest Issi! 'Twas quite amusing!
*scampers off, trying desperately to put not my hand to any part of my body not ordinarily Discovered.*
Hee!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 01:22 pm (UTC)You can add not putting elbows upon the table (although this was more of a medaeival rule) as to do so would cause the unconnected table top (board) to tip and therefore strew the contents of the platters and dishes over all concerned!
Oh and if thou hast a fever of the nose and blow into thy hand, show not thy hand to thy neighbour but purchance wipe thy hand upon thy gown or upon thy napery!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 02:03 pm (UTC)Bwahaha! That's so funny. I wondered why they'd have a program called 'Cross Incontinence'. :D
Wow, I think children today should have more respect for everyone, but these were a bit much!
'Put not thy hand to any part of thy body not ordinarily Discovered.'
lol! I liked the one about spitting in the corner, too. They didn't want spit *everywhere* in the house, just in the corner. :D
These rules were obviously written for the upper class. I wonder what rules there were for the lower class? Probably "do whatever your master tells you"!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 02:06 pm (UTC)Gosh, now that I see where the rule about not putting one's elbows on the table comes from, I think I'm inclined to start doing it! That's the hardest thing for me to avoid doing.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 03:05 pm (UTC)Well, that would be hard enough for today's kids. The rest, forget about it!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 07:38 pm (UTC)Re speaking to parents, which I think should include adults in general, reminds me of some of the children at school and how they interrupt when adults are speaking together... We have to teach them to wait until the adults have finished.
Gone are the days when "Children should be seen and not heard"! Not that I'm advocating a return to that, but nowadays children are allowed to think that the world revolves around them!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 09:07 pm (UTC)No utensils?
For the rest, :-) I suppose it was an ideal to reach, but still. Times change.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-18 04:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-18 08:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 10:08 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 10:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 10:12 am (UTC)I loved the bowing to parents when entering a room. I told Rich he has to do this, as well as call me 'madam'. He laughed. :D xxx
no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 10:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 10:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 10:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 10:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 10:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-20 12:11 pm (UTC)XXX