manners maketh man

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).

c 1350 Douce MS 52 no. 77 Maner makys man.

c 1450 in Archiv (1931) CLIX. 88 Maners and clothying makes man.

1509 A. BARCLAY Ship of Fools 118 An old prouerbe..Sayth that good lyfe and maners makyth man.

a 1661 T. FULLER Worthies (Hants.) 3 Manners makes a man, Quoth William Wickham. This generally was his Motto, inscribed frequently on the places of his Founding.

1721 J. KELLY Scottish Proverbs 246 Meat feeds, Cloth cleeds, but Manners makes the Man... Good Meat, and fine Cloaths, without good Breeding, are but poor Recommendations.

1824 BYRON Don Juan xv. xviii. The difference is, that in days of old Men made the manners; manners now make men.

1983 R. BARNARD Case of Missing Bronte vi. Gracious little twit. The idea that manners makyth man clearly went out of the educational system before he went into it.