The Art of Speaking according to The Fine Man (1829)

Abstract

This is a compendium related to social interaction at the beginning of the second quarter of the 19th century: who greeted whom, where, how, with what, what was and was not being talked about? The keen reader will find in these pages what was conceived as good tone, certain rules and examples of the art of conversation at that time; what not to talk about, what was recommended, what was accepted and what was rejected? This is an excerpt from a work, whose abbreviated title is The Fine Man (1829). It was written and adapted to Spanish society by Mariano de Rementería y Fica from French politeness manuals. What motivated the work? In his Introduction, the author explainsthat while "Jamas un libro podra dar el conocimiento perfecto del uso y tono de la que se llama sociedad fina", it will serve "a quien una timidez natural puede privar de las preciosas ventajas de que la naturaleza y la educación le hubiesen dotenado." Rementería y Fica was born in Madrid in 1786, but was raised and educated in Bilbao. In the San Francisco convent based in this city, he studied Latinity and Philosophy. Later he tried to become a religious man but the political instability of Spain led him to the secular world of letters. Today he is recognized as a journalist, translator and professor.