At USA Today, Jill Lawrence write of George Washington:
As a teenager, he copied into his school book scores of “rules of civility” in circulation at the time. Rule 1: “Every Action done in Company, ought to be with Some Sign of Respect, to those that are Present.” Rule 110, the last one: “Labour to keep alive in your Breast that Little Spark of Ce[les]tial fire Called Conscience.” Those are far from the only rules that have eerie resonance today — among them: “Be not apt to relate News if you know not the truth thereof” (No. 79), and “Speak not injurious Words neither in Jest nor Earnest Scoff at none although they give Occasion.” (No. 65).