Erasmus's rules.+ Erasmus wrote a book of manners for a youth, his
pupil. He said that the teeth should be cleaned, but that it was girlish
to whiten them with powder. He thought it excessive to rinse the mouth
more frequently than once in the morning. He thought it lazy and
thieflike to go with one's hands behind one's back. It was not
well-mannered to sit or stand with one hand in the other, although some
thought it soldierly.[1600]

+488. Eating.+ Special occasion for rules of propriety is offered
by eating. In Melanesia and Polynesia men and their wives remain
in a great measure strangers to each other. They lead separate
lives. Women have their lodgings, meals, work, and property
separate.[1601] Perhaps it is a consequence that the rule
becomes established that men and women should never see each
other eat.[1602] The Varua of Central Africa put a cloth before
the face while drinking, in order not to be seen, especially by
any woman.[1603] On Tanna (New Hebrides) a woman may not see a
man drink _kava_.[1604] A man on the Andaman Islands may not eat
with any women except those of his own household, until he is
old. The unmarried of each sex eat by themselves.[1605] Amongst
the old Semites it was not the custom for a man to eat with his
wife and children. In northern Arabia "no woman will eat before
men." Some Southern Arabs "would rather die than accept food at
the hands of a woman."[1606] There is also a widespread notion
that one should not be seen to eat by anybody. The Bakairi are
ashamed to see or to be seen eating.[1607] In northern Abyssinia
people when eating are concealed. At a wedding feast the guests
break up into little groups of four to six, who eat separately,
each group covered by a sheet.[1608] The king of Loango covers
his mouth with a garment to eat or drink, in order to keep up an
ancient rule that no one may see him eat or drink.[1609] The
Sudanese think that disease or death would follow if any one
should see them take food.[1610] No Hindoos like to be looked at
while eating. "I never once saw a single Hindoo, except of the
lowest caste, either preparing or eating cooked food of any
kind."[1611] If a man of inferior caste enters the kitchen where
food is being prepared all must be thrown away. If food thus
contaminated was eaten it would taint the souls as well as the
bodies of the eaters, and would cos