William of Wykeham (1324-1404), bishop of Winchester and chancellor of England, was the founder of Winchester College and New College, Oxford (see also quot. a 1661).
Maner makys man.
[c 1350 Douce MS 52 no. 77]
Maners and clothying makes man.
[c 1450 in Archiv (1931) CLIX. 88]
An old prouerbe‥Sayth that good lyfe and maners makyth man.
[1509 A. Barclay Ship of Fools 118]
Manners makes a man, Quoth William Wickham. This generally was his Motto, inscribed frequently on the places of his Founding.
[a 1661 T. Fuller Worthies (Hants.) 3]
Meat feeds, Cloth cleeds, but Manners makes the Man. ‥Good Meat, and fine Cloaths, without good Breeding, are but poor Recommendations.
[1721 J. Kelly Scottish Proverbs 246]
The difference is, that in days of old Men made the manners; manners now make men.
[1824 Byron Don Juan xv. xviii.]
Gracious little twit. The idea that manners makyth man clearly went out of the educational system before he went into it.
[1983 R. Barnard Case of Missing Bronte vi.]
Related to: manners
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The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs. Copyright © 1982, 1992, 1998, 2003, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
