Jonathan RoweOn 4 December the Church commemorates Clement of Alexandria, who was a second century scholar and teacher, but also something of a crank. In trying to protect the reputation of Christianity as a 'respectable religion' and not just one for slaves and commoners, he compiled a guide to Christian behaviour that often strayed into... well, silliness. The sections on eating and drinking are often treated as a second-century book of table manners.
They include such gems as:
π½οΈ Keep your hands, mouth, and couch free from stains
π½οΈ Swallow gently
π½οΈ Don't talk with your mouth full
π½οΈ Don't eat and drink at the same time
But then he also says:
π No whistling, hissing, or snapping your fingers for the servants
π No spitting, violent coughing, or blowing your nose
π No scratching your ears or inducing sneezes (apparently, this leads to fornication!)
βAs for young men, let them keep their eyes fixed on their own couch, lean on their elbow without too much fidgetingβ¦ If they should be sitting, let them not put their feet one on top of the other, nor cross their legs, nor rest their chin upon their hands. It is a lack of good breeding to fail to support oneself, yet a fault common in the young. To be forever shifting oneβs position argues for levity of character.β
And all this before the chapter where he talks more than you would expect about the sex lives of hyenas!
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James Bean