Getting drunk at a dinner party and embarrassing yourself is certainly nothing new. As far back as the 9th Century, the 'Dunhuang Bureau of Etiquette' insisted that local officials use the following letter template (dated 856) when sending apologies to offended dinner hosts. The guilty party would copy the template text, enter the dinner host's name, sign the letter and then deliver with head bowed. The letter was discovered, alongside thousands of other documents, in a sealed cave library in western China.
For more information on the Chinese archaeology project check
The International Dunhuang Project.
Translation:
Yesterday, having drunk too much, I was intoxicated as to pass all bounds; but none of the rude and coarse language I used was uttered in a conscious state. The next morning, after hearing others speak on the subject, I realised what had happened, whereupon I was overwhelmed with confusion and ready to sink into the earth with shame.
Thank you for the link to IDP. The full manuscript can be seen here and is featured in our educational resource The Silk Road: Trade, Travel, War and Faith. More letters can be found by searching for subject/keyword="letter" on our advanced search page.
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