A Renaissance Courtesy-book: Galateo of Manners & BehavioursDella Casa, Giovanni
Philosophy
A Renaissance Courtesy-book: Galateo of Manners & Behaviours
Della Casa, Giovanni
Courtesy -- Early works to 1800; Etiquette -- Early works to 1800
And if thou do roaste any fruite, or make a toaste at the fier, thou
must not blowe of the ashes, (if there be any) for it is an old saying,
that, winde was never without water. But y^u must lightly strike it
uppon the plate, or after some suche sorte or other beate of y^e ashes.
Thou shalt not offer thy handkerchiefe to any man to use it, albeit,
it be very cleane washed: for he to whome thou doest offer it, can not
(perhaps) awaye w^t it, and may be to curious to take it.
When a man talketh with one, it is no good maner to come so neere, that
he must needes breathe in his face: for there be many that cannot abide
to feele the ayer of another mans breathe, albeit there come no ill
savour from him. These and like fashions, be very unsemely, and would
be eschewed, because their senses, w^t whome we acquaint our selves,
cannot brooke nor beare them.
Now, let us speake of those things which (without any hurt or anoyaunce
to the senses) offende the minds of most men, before whome they be
doone. You shall understand, that The appetites of men, (throughe a
naturall instinct and inclination) be verie strange and divers: Some
be cholerike & hasty, & may not be satisfied with out revenge: other
doe give them selves cleane over, to pamper the belly: this man sets
his delighte in lust and sensualitie: that man is carried away with
his covetous desires: and many suche appetites more there are, to
which mans minde is too subject: but you shall not in any company,
easily judge or discerne betweene them, where and in what, they bee
moste affected. For, these matters doe not consist in the maners, the
fashions and speache of men: but rest in some other point. They seeke
to purchase y^t which the benefit of mutuall conferrence may yeald
them, & that doe (as I weene) good will, honour, comforte and pleasure,
or some other thing like unto these: & therfore we must neither say
or doe the thing, that may give any signe of litle loving or esteming
them, we live withall.
So that, it is a rude fashion, (in my conceipte) y^t som men use, to
lie lolling a sleepe in that place, where honest men be met together,
of purpose to talke. For his so doing, shewes that he doth not esteeme
the company, and little rekoneth of them or their talke. And more then
that, he that sleepeth (and specially lying at litle ease, as he must)
wonts (for the moste parte) to doe some fowle thing, to beholde, or
heare: and many times they awake sweating and driveling at the mouth.
And in like maner, to rise up where other men doe sit and talke, and
to walke up and downe the chamber, it is no point of good maner. Also
there be some that so buskell them selves, reache, streatch and yawne,
writhing now one side, and then another, that a man would weene, they
had some fever uppon them: A manifest signe, that the company they
keepe, doth weary them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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