George Washington's Rules of Civility: Traced to their Sources and Restored by Moncure D. ConwayWashington, George
History
George Washington's Rules of Civility: Traced to their Sources and Restored by Moncure D. Conway
Washington, George
Etiquette
Chapter ii. 28. C'est vne action directement opposée à la
bien-séance, de lire quelque livre, quelques lettres ou autres
choses semblables dans vne conversation ordinaire, si ce n'est en
vne affaire pressante, ou pour quelque peu de moments; & mesme
encore en ce cas, est-il à propos d'en demander la permission, si
vous n'estes, possible, le Superieur de la compagnie. C'est encore
pis de manier les ouvrages des autres, leurs livres, & d'autres
choses de cette nature, de s'y attacher, d'en approcher la veuë de
plus prés, sans la permission de celuy à qui la chose appartient,
aussi bien que de leur donner des loüanges, ou les censurer, auant
que l'on vous en demande vostre sentiment; de s'approcher trop
prés, & d'incommoder celuy de qui ou est voisin, lors qu'il prend
la lecture de ses lettres ou de quelqu'-autre chose.
It is an act directly opposed to politeness to read a book, letters
or anything else during ordinary conversation, if it be not a
pressing matter, or only for a few moments, and even in that case
it is proper to ask leave unless you are, possibly, the highest in
rank of the company. It is even worse to handle other people's
work, their books or other things of that nature, to go close to
them, to look at them closely without the permission of the owner,
and also to praise or find fault with them before your opinion has
been asked; to come too close to any one near by, when he is
reading his letters or anything else.
19th let your Countenance be pleasant but in Serious Matters Somewhat
grave
Chapter ii. 29. Que le visage ne paroisse point fantastique,
changeant, égaré, rauy en admiration, couuert de tristesse, divers
& volage, & ne fasse paroître aucun signe d'vn esprit inquiet: Au
contraire, qu'il soil ouuert & tranquille, mais qu'il ne soit pas
trop épanoüy de joye dans les affaires serieuses, ny trop retiré
par vne grauité affectée dans la conversation ordinaire & familiere
de la vie humaine.
The face should not look fantastic, changeable, absent, rapt in
admiration, covered with sadness, various and volatile, and it
should not show any signs of an unquiet mind. On the contrary, it
should be open and tranquil, but not too expansive with joy in
serious affairs, nor too self-contained by an affected gravity in
the ordinary and familiar conversation of human life.
20th The Gestures of the Body must be Suited to the discourse you are
upon
Hawkins i. 30. Let the gestures of thy body, be agreeable to the
matter of thy discourse. For it hath been ever held a solaesime in
oratory, to poynt to the Earth, when thou talkest of Heaven.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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