Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split.
This Earle of Oxford, making of his low obeisance to Queen Elizabeth, happened to let a Fart, at which he was so abashed and ashamed that he went to Travell, 7 yeares. On his returne the Queen welcomed him home, and sayd, My Lord, I had forgott the Fart.
Manners, really good ones, make it possible to live with almost anyone, gracefully and pleasantly.
Modesty died when clothes were born.
Courtesy, like grace and beauty, that which begets liking and inclination to love one another at the first sight, and in the very beginning of our acquaintance and familiarity; and, consequently, that which first opens the door for us to better ourselves by the example of others, if there be anything in the society worth notice
Our cautious ancestors, when yawning, blocked the way to the entrance of evil spirits by putting their hands before their mouths. We find a reason for the gesture in the delicacy of manner which forbids an indecent exposure.
Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.
If a child washed his hands, he could eat with kings.
You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s nose.
To be humble to superiors is duty, to equals courtesy, to inferiors nobleness.
Gentlemen use books as Gentlewomen handle their flowers, who in the morning stick them in their heads, and at night strawe them at their heeles.
It's an unwritten rule that you respect people who've given you breaks. You see somebody's body of work before you take a tone with them. I will talk differently to someone with 18 years of experience and someone with 18 months.
The vulgar only laugh, but never smile; whereas well-bred people often smile, but seldom laugh.
A gentleman is any man who wouldn't hit a woman with his hat on.
Be polite. Write diplomatically. Even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.
If a man holds a door open for me or pulls back a chair so that this old bag can sit down, I'm delighted.
I would not have had that happen to you. Discourtesy is unspeakably ugly to me.
The people of Northern Italy are the most civilized people I have ever met.
In my day you didn't speak until spoken to.
When writing a thank-you if you've had lunch with someone downtown, send an e-mail. If somebody is giving you a dinner party in his or her home and all the work that takes, that person deserves a written thank-you.
Good manners can render even virtue tolerable.
To Americans, English manners are far more frightening than none at all.
Ballroom dancing: it's a wonderful thing at so many levels because you've got to follow the rules. They used to call those rules etiquette once upon a time, but you don't really have that any more.
My father told me to dress to reflect the respect you have for the people around you. I've never forgotten that.
Manners make often fortunes.
