Manners manual may fetch €1,000

A BOOK dating back to the 18th century about table manners is set to go under the hammer, an auctioneer said today.

The Honours Of The Table Or Rules For During Meals For The Use Of Young People was penned by the Reverend John Trusler in 1791.

Among his tips for Georgian era social climbers include “never pride yourself on being a wag, take no snuff, chew no tobacco”.

He advises “eating soup with nose in plate is vulgar, eating quick is a sign of poverty, eating too slow suggests you don’t enjoy the entertainment”.

And in a somewhat obscure piece of advice to young ladies of the time, he says “be cautious of unbosoming yourself at table, particularly to a married woman”.

Auctioneer Charles Hanson said: “There’s all sorts of quirky lines in there. It’s socially so interesting, it’s going to appeal to a wide audience and, importantly, there are a lot of collectors of such social etiquette and we can see it making between £500 and £700 (€717-€1004). It’s a rare book.”

A member of the public brought the book into Hansons auctioneers’ Derby office last Friday for evaluation.

The 76-page publication will be auctioned in the city during a two-day sale on November 29/30.