Sir William Gooch served as governor of Virginia from 1727 to 1749. One day, he was saluted by a slave, and immediately returned the compliment.
"Can you demean yourself so far," said a slaveholder, "as to raise your hat to a Negro?"
"Undoubtedly," said Gooch. "I should be sorry for him to exceed me in politeness."
* * *
When in America on a mission during World War Ⅰ, Marshal Foch* was buttonholed by a noisy Westerner who launched into a tirade against French politeness.
"There is nothing in it but wind," he sneered.
"There is nothing but wind in a tire," politely countered the Marshal, "but it makes riding in a car very smooth and pleasant."
威廉．古奇爵士一七二七年到一七四九年任維吉尼亞州長。有一天，一個奴隸向他敬禮，他馬上回禮。
一個奴隸主說：「你向黑奴脫帽致敬，不怕自貶身分嗎？」
古奇說：「不怕，我只怕禮貌比他不上。」
* * *
第一次世界大戰期間，福煦元帥*因公訪美。一個吵鬧的西部人纏着他，長篇大論，非議法國人的禮貌。
那人語帶輕蔑，說道：「其禮貌無非空氣而已。」
福煦客客氣氣回答說：「汽車的輪胎裏，只有空氣，卻能使乘車者感到平穩舒適。」
*福煦是法國元帥，功高望重，一九二九年去世。