Civility costs nothing
Sir: How timely that The Rules of Civility should fall into the hands of Paul Johnson (And another thing, 15 February). PerhaPs he should have read it more carefull.Y before writing snidely of Mr Blair's grin (although why a natural, pleasant singe
LETTERS
should in thing in Tory eyes be such a dreadful is a mystery) and paid particular attention to the injunction, 'Break no jests that are sharp or biting.' Although, on sec- ond thoughts, Mr Johnson's sneer at Mr Blair isn't really much of a jest. Bruce Anderson could benefit from, Shew no sign of choler . . ' after his nasty attack on Diana, Princess of Wales (Poli- tics). Petronella Wyatt (Another voice), feeling there is an implied criticism of her and her lifestyle by Gordon Brown, could not do better than 'accept all admonitions thankfully ... ', while Peregrine Worsthome (As I was saying), not realising that 'being ever so slightly over the limit' (as regards alcohol) is responsible for many road deaths, could have done with taking the same commandment on board. Giles Whittell's peevish piece on Hugh Grant hardly conforms to, 'When you have to tick somebody off . . . do it all with sweetness and mildness . . . ', and Anne McElvoy's anti-German essay (`The conse- quences of a myth') would certainly have been less unattractive had she fol- lowed the advice to 'use no reproachful language . . , And surely, 'Come not near the books or writings of another so as to read them, unless desired, or give your opinion of them unasked' is something all your literary crit- ics should listen to and the Jesuits must have had David Fingleton in mind when they wrote, 'Let not your morcels be too big for the jowls.'
Frank Dunne 15 Dinnan Way, Exmouth, Devon
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