The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness Quotes

“The stops point out, with truth, the time of pause
A sentence doth require at ev'ry clause.
t ev'ry comma, stop while one you count;
At semicolon, two is the amount;
A colon doth require the time of three;
The period four, as learned men agree.”
― Cecil Hartley, Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette: And Manual of Politeness. Being a Complete Guide for a Gentleman's Conduct in All His Relations Towards Society

“It is ill-bred to put on an air of weariness during a long speech from another person, and quite as rude to look at a watch, read a letter, flirt the leaves of a book, or in any other action show that you are tired of the speaker or his subject. In”
― Cecil B. Hartley, The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness Being a Complete Guide for a Gentleman's Conduct in all his Relations Towards Society

“One of the first rules for a guide in polite conversation, is to avoid political or religious discussions in general society. Such discussions lead almost invariably to irritating differences of opinion, often to open quarrels, and a coolness of feeling which might have been avoided by dropping the distasteful subject as soon as marked differences of opinion arose.”
― Cecil B. Hartley, The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness

“One of the first rules for a guide in polite conversation, is to avoid political or religious discussions in general society.”
― Cecil B Hartley, The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness

“The really witty man does not shower forth his wit so indiscriminately;”
― Cecil B. Hartley, The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness Being a Complete Guide for a Gentleman's Conduct in all his Relations Towards Society

“intoxication of anger, like that of the grape, shows us to others, but hides us from ourselves, and we injure our own cause in the opinion of the world when we too passionately and eagerly defend it.”
― Cecil B. Hartley, The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness Being a Complete Guide for a Gentleman's Conduct in all his Relations Towards Society

“It is an absurdity for a man who writes a challenge, or an offensive letter, to another, to subscribe himself, “Your obedient Servant.”
― Cecil B. Hartley, The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness

“Avoid gossip; in a woman it is detestable, but in a man it is utterly despicable.”
― Cecil B. Hartley, The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness Being a Complete Guide for a Gentleman's Conduct in all his Relations Towards Society

“The man who takes up nothing but a newspaper, but reads it to think, to deduct conclusions from its premises, and form a judgment on its opinions, is more fitted for society than he, who having all the current literature and devoting his whole time to its perusal, swallows it all without digestion.”
― Cecil B. Hartley, The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness

“You cannot make a silk purse,’ &c. He has been created for some other sphere; let him find and fill it.”
― Cecil B. Hartley, The Gentlemen's Book of Etiquette and Manual of Politeness