New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-06
"MADAME ETIQUETTE"
A PILLAR OF THE MONARCHICAL SYSTEM


of tradition rather than Of any printed code
Madame Etiquette" Queen Marie An
toinctte was won't to call it IN moments
Of petuance when rendered lmpatehV
by the thraldom thereof, is as indehnabe, as
capricious, and as inexplcahle as any beautiful
woman, and equally indispensable to the social
system. The world would be arrested In its on
ward progress were it 10 be deprived OF l'e
fairer and better half, and in the same way social
intercourse would come ID standsnll were IL
to lose the services Of Madame Etiquette She
acts as kind of social arbitress, to whose DEGREES
.ven the mightiest monarchs have been forced 10
bow their proud heads. For, does not St Simon
in his memoirs, portray King Louis XIV OF France.
the Grand Monarque, shivering shirtless IN The
colo on arising from his bed because the Lord Of
the Chamber, whose duty it was to hand MN
that elementary garment. happened to be ABSENT
and no other OF the numerous courtlers present
at the Lever du Roi dared to transgress etiquette
by handing the shirt TO His Majesty.
As civilization progresses Madame Etiquette
laws become less oppressive. III they have Deeh
tyrannical and despotic in the past, 1t is because
the less cultured and more barbarous manners
Of our forefathers necessitated greater degree OF
restraint to make social intercourse possible than
is requisite nowadays Thus for instance we are
no longer governed BY that unwritten law of Ell
quette which prevailed among our ancestors, and
which still holds good to this day throughout
Asia in connection with swords According to
the terms thereof no more direct and grievous in
suit could be inflicted than to turn the sharp
edge of the blade outward when showing the
sword TO friends and acquaintance. During my
first stay in Japan, eighteen years ago. when the
Samarai still wore their two swords, the neglect
to observe this form Of courtesy was considered
sufficient to destroy even the oldest and closest
friendships
Madame Etiquette, Of course, varies her laws
and her DEGREES according to the character and
conditions of the nations over which her rule
extends For there is not people who are en-
tirey exempt from her sway, and even the cannl-
bal races Of Africa and of the South Sea Islands
are guided by their unwritten laws Of etiquette
Mt their gruesome banquets of long-pig"
But it is at the monarchica courts Of Europe that
etiquette enjoys the greatest and the fullest con-
sideration. 1t serves to maintain the proper dis
lance between the aIointed Of the Lord and his
friends, acquaintance and followers who are Of
less ilustrous birth and station. 1t constitutes
the barrier that hedges royalty. and it maintains
distinct the various gradatons of rank. Indeed.
royalty could not exist without it, and it may be
regarded as one of the pillars of the monarchical
syslem Not that it is very greatly relished by
the royal and imperial personages themselves who
practically owe their existence thereto. For they
frequently chafe at its DEGREES and resent its
demands Thus, some time ago the little boy
King of SPAIN who is just about five years old.
was running down the steps Of the grand stair
Of the Royal Palace at Madrid. In his haste
he tripped himself up and shot bcadforemoSt down
stairs. Fortunately, one of the footmen. who had
but recently been engaged. standing on the
steps with his back against the wall waiting for
his dminutive Sovereign TO pass and had the pres
ence of mind to quickly step forward and 10 catch
the little fellow in his arms thereby saving His
Majesty, if not from breaking his neck. at any
rate, from severe injury. Queen Christina is de-
voted heart and soul to her son, II ever mother
was, and her feelings Of gratitude toward the
Tootman ray therefore be imagined. Not even
she, although as Regent she holds the reins
Of power IN Spain, could save the man
from dismissal for having transgressed the I'M
written laws Of etiquette In taking the King in
his According to etiquette. not being
grandee, he should have RETAINED from touch
ing the sacred person of His Most Catholic
Majesty. Although the Queen was not able 10
prevent his dismissal from the post which he
occupied in the royal household, yet she found
other means of rewardiug him for bis common
eense and presence Of mind, by appointing him
gamekeeper on one Of the royal estates in the
northern part of the kingdom. and by presenting
him with a considerable sum OF money.
Etiquette plays likewise great role at the
court Of Great Britain. and the Queen herself
although at times she resents its demands. is
extremely punctilious in her observances Of its
laws. One of the best known illustrations thereof
occurred during her visit to King Louis Philippe
of France, during the lifetime Of her husband
Feeling thirsty one evening after dinner while
chatting with the King she intimated to him
her wish for glass of water. The King like
- 4
went over to the fireplace. rung his bell, and
when a servant appeared ordered him TO bring
glass Of water. couple of minutes later the
man reappeared with goblet of water on gold
salver and presented it to the Queen. To the
establishment Of King Louis Philippe she declined
it, The man was just leaving the room with
the water untouched. when the Due dAumale
who had been attentive witness of the whole
affair, took the saver from the servant and pre-
sented it himself TO the Queen Her Majesty
immediately accepted the profered goblet and
drank the water with manifest relish Only
then did worthy King Louis Philippe realize
that his royal guest deemed herself debarred
by the unwritten laws of etiquette from taking
the goblet from the hands of an ordinary servant.
Orientals arc most punctilious on the score Of
etiquette. to which they attach extraordinary
Importance. 1t influences and rules every word
and every act Of their life. the most trivial
Thus for instance. etiquette in every Mahom-
etan country of the world inexorably demands
that melons be sliced and eaten in particular
way. First small incision is made in the end
furthest from the stem, then its head is cut of
by slicing off a small piece. after that it is cut
I'D lengthways. and with two dexterous
turns of the knife the flesh is removed from the
rind and cut into small. thin Slices which
pushed out alternately by the knife. The origin
Of this method is believed to be found in the
Koranic precept which prescribes that when an
animal is killed for food its throat must be cut
xl-.x Ill a..l oI4 IL. u.