Royal Etiquette of 1624

Ferdinand II was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, Hungary, and Croatia from 1619, until his death in 1637. He was the son of Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria and Maria of Bavaria. The “Hofburg” translates as "Castle of the Court.” Built during the Middle Ages, “it was initially planned in the 13th century as the seat of the Dukes of Austria, the palace expanded over the centuries, as they became increasingly powerful. From 1438 to 1583, and again from 1612 to 1806, it was the seat of the Habsburg Kings and Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and thereafter until 1918 the seat of the Emperors of Austria. Since then the palace has continued in its role as the seat of the head of state and is today used by the Austrian Federal President.” – from Wikipedia, public domain image

 

Here is a curious extract from the Court regulations of the Hofburg for the year 1624 on the etiquette to be observed by officers when invited to the Royal table. 

The regulation begins by stating that officers usually behave under such circumstances “with great politeness and good breeding, like true and worthy cavaliers,” but that the Emperor thinks it necessary to issue the following directions for the use of inexperienced cadets:

“1. Officers should come to the palace handsomely dressed and not enter the room in a half drunken state.

“2. When they are at table, they should not rock about on their chairs nor sit back and stretch out their legs.

“3. They should, not drink after each mouthful, as by so doing they will very soon get drunk, nor drink more than half a glass at a time, and before drinking they should wipe their lips and mustachios.

“4. They should not put their hands in the dishes nor throw bones under the table.

“5. They should not lick their fingers nor drink so brutally as to fall off their chairs.” – Newcastle News, 1900

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Etiquette's Knife for Peas

The knife and fork combination utensil on left, and the spatulate knife, at right,  some say are lacking the beauty of the modern knife of sterling with which they are compared.

Eating Peas with a Knife 
There Was a Day, Long Before Sterling Silver and Etiquette Books, When the Practice Was Condoned

LONG before the days of books on etiquette and elaborate sterling silver services—in the 15th century to be exact—there was a curiously constructed knife which was recommended "for the eatinge of pease and jelleys.” It had a broad or spatulate end opposite the cutting edge and was considered excellent form in the days when the first requirement of politeness was to “smack thy lips resoundingly if thou would show due appreciation to thy host.”

The evolution of knives, their origin as implements of the hunt to the graceful sterling dining utensils of today, shows several interesting variations. Thus, a point was reached in the development when a set of three knives set in a scabbard was a smart thing for the young man about Venice. These knives, of steel and sterling silver performed successively the three functions of slaughtering, cutting up and conveying the meat to the mouth.

As city life developed and the diner became more remote from his food in its natural condition, the scabbard came to contain only one knife, or a knife and spoon. A 17th century novelty was the combination knife and fork which, though doubtless of enormity, must have required marvelous skill in manipulating. —Madera Tribune, 1928

 🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor or the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia