The little gem I referenced in an earlier post is a small booklet I picked up at Colonial Williamsburg. I found it in one small shop, partially hidden behind a stack of children’s toys: a pamphlet titled The School of Manners OR RULES for Childrens Behavior.
It is a historical reproduction of an authentic text from the period. After only a short time of flipping through the pages, I knew I couldn’t pass up this chance.
And so for you, my readers, over the next month I would like to present you with some of the writings from this 1701 publication. You will then be able to tell your children just how good they really have it today.
Also, there is a forward that addresses the parents of these children, but I will save that for the very end, after you see the rules put forth by this author. Today we’ll start with the basic rules for life and then rules for church. They’re short and to the point – later entries will be a little more lengthy and wordy. There is even a chapter devoted to rules for boys in particular.
(Spelling and punctuation have been left as written. Except for those silly f’s that are meant to be s’s.)
Chapter I. Short and mixt Precepts.
1. FEAR GOD.
2. Honour the KING.
3. Reverence thy Parents.
4. Submit to thy Superiors.
5. Despise not thy inferiors.
6. Be courtious with thy Equals.
7. Pray daily and devoutly.
8. Converse with the Good.
9. Imitate not the wicked.
10. Hearken to Instruction.
11. Be desirous of Learning.
12. Love the School.
13. Be always cleanly.
14. Study Vertue.
15. Provoke no Body.
16. Love thy Schoolfellows.
17. Please thy Master.
18. Let not play entice thee.
19. Restrain thy Tongue.
20. Cover future Honour, which only Vertue and Wisdom can procure.
Chapter II. Of Behaviour at the Church.
1. Decently walk to thy Seat or Pew; run not, nor go wantonly.
2. Sit where thou art ordered by thy Superiors, Parents, or Masters.
3. Shift not Seats, but continue in the same place.
4. Lend thy place for the easing of any one that stands near thee.
5. Keep not too long a Seat lent thee by another, but being eased restore it.
6. Talk not in the Church, especially in the time of Prayers of Preaching.
7. Fix thine eye upon the Minister. Let it not wildly wander to gaze upon any Person or Thing.
8. Attend diligently to the Words of the Minister; pray with him when he prayeth, at least in thy Heart; and while he preacheth, listen, that thou mayest remember.
9. Be not hasty to run out of the Church when the Worship is ended, as if thou wert weary of being there.
10. Walk decently and soberly home, without hast or wantonness.
Uh oh, after reading chapters 1 and 2 I guess I’m raising a little heathen monster.
But, then again, I was never very good at “Restraining thy Tongue”!
Geeeeez! My kid would never have survived back then — and I’m pretty strict about certain things!
My favorite is ‘be always cleanly’ LOL and a half 🙂
Izzy – Just wait until the next chapter. You won’t believe how much a child has to bow to his/her parents.
heheh these are awesome! My Grandmother (although not that old) always tells me how it was so different when she was raising children (she would love this!)
Let play not entice thee?!? I am so raising a heathen too.
Funny post. Can’t wait to hear more.
This is fantastic, Christina! I love it!
Love thy Schoolfellows? You’ve got to be kidding me!
Well then! And our kids think we’re strange!
Diane
“run not, nor go wantonly”
One should always go wantonly. Always. I intend to teach WonderBaby exactly that.
I think I’m going to steal some as blog taglines:
Imitate not the wicked.
Let not play entice thee.
Converse with the Good.
I would have never survived in those days!
Wait, I’m confused in chapter 2. It says for me to not shift seats. But then it says I’m supposed to get up and let someone else sit there … Which I can’t do without shifting seats and why don’t THEY have somewhere to sit? Because they didn’t follow #2? And is that my responsibility, hmm?
Only if the grocery store could have a similar manual, then I wouldn’t look like such a smacked ass.
LOL..we are so in trouble. Yeah my kids have it EASY. Even I had it easy. Those chapters are kind of scary!
Oh my! I wonder how those kids cooped? Or how did we de-evolved so much?
Wow. You’re totally right – we ALL have it easy compared to these kids.
Things have changed a lot just since I was younger. When I was going to the University of Alabama in the 60’s, we weren’t allowed to wear pants (girls), or chew gum in class, and, of course, not smoke.
Okay, now how do I explain all this to a 6-month old?
We’re still working on “Do not pee in your bath.”