Tea at Trianon: Etiquette: Rediscovering an Art Form

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Etiquette: Rediscovering an Art Form

From The Epoch Times:

The most simple definition of etiquette, according to Meier, is being kind, considerate, and respectful to everyone. Without it, we don’t have rules about how to conduct ourselves in a variety of situations and how to treat other people. Furthermore, it’s a concept that applies to people of all socioeconomic statuses, not just the wealthy and privileged. It is for these reasons that etiquette is crucial even today.

“As society evolves and business evolves, etiquette evolves, and so using the etiquette that we were taught 50 years ago certainly is no longer relevant, the majority of it, I would say a large majority of it, now,” Meier said. As social norms have evolved over time, so has etiquette. For instance, before the Internet, email etiquette did not exist. Gender etiquette, particularly in business, has also changed dramatically as attitudes toward women in the workplace have evolved.

American, British, and European culture feature similarities and differences, and as a result, proper etiquette varies between each. There are so many intricacies in the different types of etiquette, but there are some facets that do stand out. Dining is an arena where proper etiquette varies between the American, British, and European varieties. The way one holds and rests their silverware is very different across these three different cultures. Also, the way one signals to a server that they are finished with a meal varies greatly. (Read more.)

Via Nobility. Share