JB/015/534/002

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Occasion has been found to point out some of the inconsistencies instances of discordance
between the laws of politeness with and the deontological Laws – or in other words
the want of coincidence between the popular sanction & the
deontological principle.

Persons for example have been deemed "perfect gentlemen"
whose morality was as bad as it could well be – & whose intellect
little better than their morality. Perhaps if such persons had
not occupied stations pre-eminently exalted they would not
have been quoted as models. At all events, a politeness of
a higher character – & a gentlemanly spirit more regardful
of the pains & pleasures of others might more properly be proposed
for imitation.

Far from being inconsistent with true morality –
the laws of genuine politeness harmonize with those of benevolent
beneficence. It will as cautiously avoid giving pain – or
exciting painful associations – as if its name were virtue.

But politeness mustfashionable habits to be
made truly polite must undergo many changes. These habits
are now a very chaos of inconsistencies, – inconsistencies
sanctioned by aristocratic usage – & escaping from the
influence of any general law. A man of gentleman whose
conversational demeanor is courtesy itself, – who will not utter a word
that shall cause needless pain – will not hesitate to
break an engagement for the dispatch of business – to keep
a visitor in weary attendance – to leave unanswered
letters of intense interest to the writer – to mislay or lose
valuable manuscripts – or in a word to give extreme & gratuitous
pain without any sort of benefit to himself.

Identifier: | JB/015/534/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 15.
Date_1		Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	015	Main Headings	deontology
Folio number	534a "a" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 534.	Info in main headings field
Image	002	Titles
Category	linking material	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	f219
Penner	sir john bowring	Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	5750
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