Not to tilt oneself forward on the table. Not to gorge or bolt one’s food. To subordinate talking to eating. Not to drink with one’s mouth full. To remain seated at table, even though fresh guests should arrive. Not to suck at solid food eaten with a spoon. To use up one’s bread. To abstain from raising objections to the dinner. Not to scrutinize one’s neighbour’s plate. To cut bread as it comes, not in all sorts of ways. To carve for the ladies. To give the guests prime cuts. To make the guests thoroughly welcome, without oppressive urgencies. To abstain at dinner from stroking cats and dogs. Not to speak with one’s mouth full. To abstain from imparting bad news at dinner. To keep down any symptoms of pain or illness. To avoid calling attention to anything disagreeable which may accidentally be in the dishes. The attendants to hold the dishes by their rims. Not to hand round the bowl by its upper edge. Not to overload the dishes, goblets, &c. Not to hurry through with one’s eating, so that others, who are left behind, would feel uncomfortable. To wash hands and drink the best wine after dinner. 3. _Rules equally true and primitive._ Not to tilt one’s legs on the table between-whiles. To turn aside if one sneezes or coughs. Not to set down before the guests utensils fresh from the kitchen. The attendants to be clean—not to spit, &c. To blow one’s nose on ‘foot-cloths,’ not through the fingers. Not to scratch at one’s head or elsewhere. Not to pick one’s teeth with the fingers. Not to lick one’s fingers clean. 4. _Rules which may be regarded as over-punctilious or obsolete._ Not to sit at table with one’s legs crossed. To offer the cup to others only when they want it. (The rules as to drinking seem throughout to contemplate that two or more guests are using one cup or vessel.) To use both hands in drinking. Never to decline the cup when another offers it, but to drink no more than one wishes. (This rule still has its analogue at tables where the custom lingers of requesting ‘the pleasure of taking wine with’ some one else.) Not to rummage about in the dish from which one is eating along with others. Not to dip bread into the wine of which one is drinking along with others. To suspend eating while a man of importance is drinking. To postpone drinking till the man of importance has finished. Not to speak to a man who is in the act of drinking. (This rule seems to contemplate ‘potations pottle-deep,’ such as engage all one’s energies for some little while together: for a mere modern sip at a wine-glass such a rule would be superfluous.)