The Sun.
London, England, 1845-05-19 00:00:00

ENGLISH ETIQUETTE.

The ceremonial observed by the Tudor sovereigns ap-
proached absurdity. When the sisters of the young
King Edward the Sixth dined with him they were not
permitted even a chair, but sat on a bench sufficiently
distant from the King for his canopy not to overhang
them; and, when Elizabeth dined with Queen Mary and
Philip of Spain, though heiress presumptive to the
kingdom, and treated as such, she was carefully placed
outside the cloth of estate. But King James the
First carried this etiquette quite as far; for we read
that, on the 4th of June, 1610, he created his son Prince
Henry Prince of Wales, having previously knighted him,
without which honour he was incapable of sitting at
dinner with his Sovereign, though his father. Elizabeth
was intrenched chin-deep in observances. . . .
If we are to credit the opinion of the witty-
fashionist of the day, De Grammont, such
manifestations were more honoured in the breach
than the observance. When dining in state on
one occasion, King Charles made his favourite
remark, that he was served upon the knee, a mark of re-
spect not common at other courts. " I thank your Ma-
jesty for the explanation," replied De Grammont ; " I
thought they were begging pardon for giving you sobad a
dinner." The customs which were of necessity habitual
at meals form a curious contrast to this sup -rabundant
display of etiquette. We do not, indeed, read of ladies
sitting under the table, or of one lady in particular being
enviably placed there (as erst at the coronation of Anne
Boleyn), "to hold a fine cloth before the Queen's
face when she list to spit, or do otherwise at her
pleasure. But, most certain it it, that the prudish
maiden Queen fed herself with her fingers. It is a mis-
take to say that forks were not known then, fur
Elizabeth possessed several, which had been pre-
sented to her ; but it is certain they were not used,
nor for a considerable time after did they become
common. Indeed, the prejudice was as rife against
them, even among the higher classes, as it is now
against machinery among the lower ones. One divine
preached against the use of forks, as " an insult on
Providence, not to touch one's meet with one's fin-
gers." * * • • Forty years after this
forks were still a novelty, as may be inferred from
a pa4sage in Heglin's " Cosmography." published in
1652. " The use of silver forks with us. by some
of our spruce gallants, taken up of late, came from hence
into Italy. and from thence into England." For a long
time after their introduction into England they were
considered as a most superb mark of coxcombry ; and it
appears that then, even as now, empty-headed yount_•
men affected to display their consequence by the parade
of foreign fopperies —M s. Stone's Chronicles of Pastime.

DIRECTIONS FOR AIDING OR EF-
FECTING ESCAPE FROM FIRE.
The following important direction, for aiding t. r
effecting escape from tire have recently been issued by
the Royal Society f r the Protection of Life from Fir -,
and, if acted upon, will prove the means of preventing
many of those appalling accidents which it is so fre-
quently our painful duty to record :-
1. Every householder should make each person in his
house well acquainted with the parts thereof which afford
the best means of escape, whether the fire break out at
the top or at the bottom, and, in securing the street door
and lower windows for the night, care should be taken
that an easy outlet for every member of the house is not
thus prevented, in case of fire. [A coil of rope in the
upper part of the house will be f un-i the most avail.,ble
escape that can be kept on the preleises.)
2. It is the duty of all to he well acqu,inted with the
various fire-escape stations of the Royal Society, and the
places in their own neighbourhood' where ladders, ropes,
&c.. are generally at hand.
3. On an alarm of fire it should be the object of all
pert.ons to direct their efforts to save the inmates, and
' when the fire occurs near one of the society's stations.
see that instant notice is forwarded to the conductor ; if
at a considerable distance from any station, call to mind
where a ladder has been seen, and especially ropes or
chains ; pending their arrival see the next direction be

observed.
4. Two well qualified persons (constables or others
should ascend to the roof, through the adjoining house
it is often the case that most efficient assistance can be
rendered the inmates, by an entrance to the upper part
of the building on fire; from thence either by the win-
dow, the loft door, or removing the tiles.
5. As soon as the ropes are brought, let one be conveyed
to the upper windows of both the houses on either side
of the one on fire, and one end of each dropped into
the street, which may speedily be attached to the two
ends of an ordinary length ladder or a baker's large
basket (this can be obtained at any hour of the night ;)
the greatest care should always be bestowed in securing
the ropes to the carne ; in the absence of these, the
ropes should be well tied together, so as form a line
across the house on fire. The parties above may
then with common care haul the same eh ar of the flames,
and bring it before the window where the persons
waiting to escape are. The avoiding the flames will be
aided by a guide rope attached and held in the street ;
repeated descents could thus be quickly made ; and if a
person would ascend from the street in the first instance,
he would render great service, as it generally happens
that the inmates are unable to help themselves.
6. When a fire occurs in a narrow street, assistance
can be given most efficiently from the windows of the
opposite houses, particularly by means of a ladder placed
across from window to window.
7. When ne other means present themselves, the by-
standers hid better collect all the blankets, &c., at hand,
and thus be prepared for the inmates throwing them-
selves from the windows ; if there be a scarcity of bed-
ding, a blanket or carpet stretched out by several per-
sons will serve the purpose.
8. Inmates at the first alarm should endeavour calmly
to reflect what incites of escape there are in the house ;
if in bed at the time, 'ran themselves in a blanket or
bedside carpet, at.d nei hi r open windows nor doors
more than necessary, and shut every (1.)or after them. If
there is much smeke a wet silk handkerchief will he
found useful inavmuch as when tied over the face without
being folder!, it permits free breathing, and, at the same
time, excludes the smoke from the lungs.
9. It must be borne in mind thst in the midst of smoke
it is comparatively clear towards the ground. conse-
quently, pro.'ress through smoke can generally be made
on the hands and knees.
10. When all escape is cut off by the staircase, the
object must be to open the front windows, and here the
endangered persons are cautioned against acting too
hastily ; they must not precipitate themselves at once,
but wait until the last chance of' assistance fails. then
drop rather than leap. as by that means the hei, dit of
several feet is saved, and in dropping give a spring ,back-
wards. The window over the doorway would at all ties
be proferablt to escape from rather than,. those otN:c
the tree.