Table Etiquette in the Seventeenth Century.

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1888, Page 3 (Supplement)

Table Etiquette in the Seventeenth Century.

In connection with the above eubject, an<i as illustrative of the progress of civilisation ancVefcrquette sincetheseventeenth century* -an extract from the first part of t-he •'Youth's .Behaviour," 1664, containing certain-rules, may be amusing:—

Carriage at The Table.

1. Being 'set at the <table, scratch nc>t! thyself, and take thou heed -as much asthou catfsttiot to 'spit, cough, and toblbw thynose; b«t,if 'it be needful, da'it'dexteYOTisTy, without much:noise, turning thy facesidelong. 2. Take'not ishy'repaigt like a'glufctdn. Z. Break ndt bread with^thy Tiandf, but cut it withar knife, if it be not very'little and -very new, all 'the others did the>"Baxrie, ori the major "part. _ 4. Cast not'thyself upon rthe table witti thine 'arms *Btr6tched even to' thy elbows. • Artd lean 'tiot'thy'sli'oulder's,' or thine atms, on' tbeJOhatr^indecenHly. 5. IBtfb'not-'with'Oheeks full and with fall mbuth. t , , '6; *Sbp wet in'wine if ttou be fst riot'the ibafeteif tif the hWf&,'br hasfsoin'e'indispbsi-, <ii6n?or'other. „ . * - «. T'taikitfg>Balt,:bewai'e that thy knife be ndt pea'sy/^vHen iti'b'ugKt 150 be wip^d, or, tlKefork- dh'e'niay ido it iteatly with a piece of- bread, or, as in certain-place's, 'With a ria^klh, 'biit hever'wlth a whole loaf. -10.; Bldw not laWn thy meat, but/ if it Ke hot; st^yWiibiiit becold. ' . 11. '^mcli' iipt to thY meat, and, if ffiibii -hfildest thy n^se^ it, Bit it not'fifterwardg before anotlier. . .. -- 12. Besmear not "atiy bread round about -thy^fingers,.-lrut wilt cut 'some bread wipe^them n'rst if they be greaSy; Iherefore take heed, as nigh as thou canst, of- -fouling thy hands, or of -greasing thy fingers,-and, having a spoon or fork, make use of it; it becom'th thee, according to' tshe custom pf-the-best bred. _ ' 14. One o"ttght not to cast "under the ta^ble, or an the bones, Ipariirgs, wine, orsuoh like, things; nptwith«banding Jft one be constrained to spit something

which was hard to chew, or which causeth ir ksoinleness, then ' may-dtief tKrbw !it *~d.6& tefously 'forth' upon- the'grdtind,';tSk"ihgf it decently with' two"fingers or with the left hand' half-shut, so that it f-.be hob a 1 licjuid thing ; in such case one may'more' freely spit it on the ground, turning oneself, if it be/possible, ;somewhat vasidei as has- been said here nbove.

It is- indecent to soil the tablecloth, and, that which is worse,; to' Clean one's fkce, or wipe away one's sweatrwlth" the napkin, or with1 the same clean one's nose, one's trencher, of the dish. -

26. Suck no bones, at least in isubhiftie that one taay hear it; take them riot with two hands, but with one" solely and properly. Gnaw them not, nor tear the flesh with thy teeth, as'dogs do ; but make use-of thy knife, holding them with one'hand, or rather vvith two fingers, as high as :tti6u canst. Knbcknd bones upon thy bread or thy trencher to get Out the marrow of thiem, but get out the marrow with a knife. ' 34. Clean hot' thy teeth ■ with a tablecloth, or napkin, or with thy finger, fork, or knife ; "much"\vbrse Would it be tq J do so with thy nails,1 but1 use.thy toothpick.