The manners in the court of Queen Elizabeth the First are a difficult thing for most modern Magonomia players, because our various countries now see them, rightly, as repressive.
Why this is varies a little: I’m an Australian, and the manners that they are using were, for a long time, used as a racial marker to separate the rulers (the English and perhaps Scots) from the rest of us. Here I’m using “race” in its historical English sense: in my country Italians, Greeks and Spaniards were legally not white until after the Second World War. Well, modern ones: Alexander, Julius Caesar and Jesus were all sort of grandfathered in. As for America, I’ve only visited it briefly, but I consume many of its cultural products, and it seem to me De Tocville was onto something when he said that Americans made it difficult for him by formally professing equality, and then getting quite annoyed if you didn’t know who was in charge in the room. Elizabethans do not do this: indeed they think that formidable people who take humility past the point of making life difficult for other people are rude.
Over a Librivox, a pack of us have been recording one of the most popular courtesy books in Elizabeth’s court. It was published mid-reign in Venice, and rapidly translated. In future weeks I’ll share examples of poor etiquette so you can add to the in your characters so you can add them to your characters particularly in PCs. This week though I thought I’d share the insider’s view on why they thought elaborate etiquette was good and moral. It’s one of the few apologies I’ve seen which is from the time and tries to sincerely make the point.
Now over to a slightly younger version of myself. The text below is from the original text: the Librivox version is a later modernisation. Its original can’t be copied, however, as it is a graphical format. Good luck on the period typography.
For as muche as thou doste now enter the iourny, wherof I haue allredy ronne forth the better parte (as thou seest) I meanethe transitorie waye of this mortall life: I haue determined (such is the Loue I bearethee) toshewe all the daungerous straights thou must passe: For my experience maketh me feare, y’ walking that way thou mayst easily eyther fall, or by some meanes or other go astray. To the ende thou maist once, taughte both by my instructions and experience, be able to keepe the right waye, as well for the helthe of thy Soule, as the commendation and prayse of the Honourable and Noble house thou doest come of. And bycause thy tender Age, is unfit (as yet) to receaue more principall and higher precepts, reseruing them for fytter time, I will beginn to discourse of such things as many men wyll deeme, perchance, but trifles.
I meane what manner of Countenance and grace, behoueth a man to vse, that hee may be able in Communication and familiar acquaintance with me, to shewe him selfe plesant, courteous, and gentle: which neuerthelesse is either a vertue, or the thing that comes very nere to vertue. And albeit Liberalitie, or magnanimitie, of themselues beare a greater prayse, then, to be a well taught or ma nored man: yet perchaunce, the courteous behauiour and entertaynement with good maners and words, helpe no lesse, him that hath them: then the high minde and courage, aduaūceth him in whome they be. For these be such things as a mã shall neede alwayes at all hads to vse, because a man must necessarily be familiar with me at all times, & euer haue talk & communication with them: But iustice, fortitude, and the other greater, and more noble vertues, are seldome put in vse. Neyther is y liberall and noble minded man, caused euery hower to doe bountifull things: for to vse it often, cannot any man beare the charge, by any meanes. And these valiât men yt be so full of hyghe minde and courage: are very seldome driuen to trye their valour & vertue by their deeds. Then as muche as these last, doe passe those fyrst, in greatnes (as it were) & in weight: so much do the other surmout these in number, & ofte occasio to vse thẽ. And, if I could wel intend it, I could name you many, whoe, (being otherwise of litle account) haue ben & be styll, muche estemed & made of, for their cherefull & plesaunt behauiour alone: which hath byn suche a helpe & aduauncemēt vnto them, that they haue gotten greate preferments, leauing farre behinde them, such men as haue byn endowed with those other noble and better vertues, spoken of before. And as these plesaut & getle behauiours, haue power to draw their harts & mynds vnto vs, with whome we liue : so côtrarywise, grosse and rude maners, procure me to hate and despise vs. Wherby albeit the lawes, haue inioyned no payne for vnmanerly & grose behauiours, as the fault that is thought but light (& to saye a trueth, it is not greate) yet we see notwithstanding, y’ nature herselfe punisheth the w’ sharpe & shrewde correction, putting them by this meanes, besydes ye cōpanie & fauour of men. And truly euē as greate & foule faults, doe muche harme: so doe these lyght, much hurt, or hurte at least more ofte. For, as mē doe comoly fereye beasts y’ be cruell & wild, & haue no maner of feare of som litle ones, as ye gnats and the flyes, & yet by ye côtinual noiauce they find by the, cōplaine the selues more of thes the of y other: so it chauceth yt most me do hate in manerasmuche, ye vnmanerly & vnsaught, as ye wicked, & more.
So there is no doubte, but who so disposeth himselfe to liue, not in solitarie and deserte places, as Heremites, but in fellowship with men, and in populous Cities, will think it a very necessarie thing, to haue skill to put himselfe forth comely and seemely, in his fashions, gestures and maners: the lacke of which parts doth make those other vertues lame, and litle or nothing can they work to good effect, without other helpes: wheare this ciuilitie and courtesie, without other releefe or patrimonie, is riche of itselfe, & hath substance enough, as a thing y’ standeth in speache and gestures alone.
And that y” mayst now more easily learne the way vnto it, thou must vnderstand, it behoues thee, to frame and order thy maners and doings, not according to thyne owne minde and fashion: but to please those, with whome thou lyuest, and after that sort direct thy doings: And this must be done by Discretion and Measure. Forwho so applieth himself to much, to feede other mens humors, in his familiar conuersation, and behauiour with men, is rather to be thought a Jester, a Jugler or flatterer, then a gentleman wel taught and .nourtured: As contrarywise, whoe so hath no care or mind to please, or displese, isa rude, vntaught, and vncourteous fellowe. For asmuche then, as our maners, have some pleasure in them when we respect other men, and not our owne pleasure: if we diligētly searche forthe what those things be.
Games From Folktales 