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
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 trempé à la bouche, de crainte de se
salir, & puis redresser la teste.
25. Ne vous nettoyez pas les mains à vostre pain, s'il est entier;
toutesfois les ayant fort grasses, il semble que vous les puissiez
nettoyer premierement à vn morceau de pain que vous ayez à manger
tout à l'heure & puis à la seruiette, afin de ne la point tant
salir: ce qui vous arriuera rarement, si vous sçauez vous seruir de
la cuilliere, & de la fourchette, selon le style des plus
honnestes. Beaucoup moins deuez vous lêcher les doigts,
principalement les sucçant 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
Chapter viii. 30. Ne portez pas le morceau à la bouche que l'autre
ne soil auallé, & que tous soient tels qu'ils ne fassent pas enfler
les jouës hors de mesure; ne vous seruez pas des deux mains pour
vous mettre le morceau à la bouche, mais seruez vous d'ordinaire de
la droite.
Carry not another morsel to the mouth till the other be swallowed,
and let each be such as will not stretch the jaws beyond measure;
do not take both hands to raise a morsel to the mouth, but,
usually, serve yourself with the right hand.
98th. Drink not nor talk with your mouth full neither Gaze about you
while you are a Drinking
Chapter viii. 32. Ne boiuez ayant le morceau en la bouche, ne
demandez point à boire, ne parlez, ne vous versez point à boire, &
ne boiuez cependant que vostre voisin boit, ou celuy qui est au
haut bout.
33. En boiuant, ne regardez point çà & là.
[Sidenote: The later French book recommends keeping the eyes 'fixed at
the bottom of the glass' while drinking.]
Do not drink with your mouth full of food; do not ask anything
while drinking, nor talk, nor turn round; and do not drink because
your neighbour does, or the head of the table. (33.) While
drinking, gaze not here and there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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