CHARACTERS. 
and judicious policy, trembled for 
England; even Switzerland, which 
was neither conneéted with her by 
politics nor commerce, offered up 
continual vows for her preferva- 
tion. 
‘A traveller, more efpecially if he 
pafies immediately from France 
into Great Britain, in looking for 
that politenefs at once fo {plendid 
and fo trifling, which he has been 
ufed to, will not fail to imagine the 
Englifh rude and uncultivated; and 
this merely becaufe he does not give 
himfelf the trouble to fearch beyond 
the furface of their character. 
Grofley, amember of the French 
academy, recounts, with fome hu- 
mour, in one of his letters, a cir- 
cumftance that happened to him. 
He had gone to England, preju- 
diced with the idea, that he was 
about to vifit the moft unpolifhed na- 
tion in Europe. A few days after 
his arrival he went to the theatre. 
The pit was very crowded; and 
being there alone, and exceedingly 
inquifitive, he began to recollect the 
little Englifh of which he was maf- 
ter, and put feveral queftions to the 
perfon next him. His neighbour, 
who did not underfland a word of 
the jargon which he uttered, rifes 
precipitately, turns his back to him, 
and departs. Grofley was but lit- 
tle furprifed at this conduct, fo ex- 
tremely ungentee] in appearance, 
and which, for fome moments, only 
ferved to confirm him in his former 
Opinion : but he was foon put to the 
bluth when he faw the Englifhman 
return. This good- natured man 
had perceived, at the other end of 
the pit, one of his friends who 
mere French; and having pierced 
the crowd which feparated them, he 
eturned with much difficulty, lead- 
eg him in his hand.—I afk, whe- 
27 
ther this is true politenefs or not? 
A Frenchman, by paying him a 
handfome compliment, would have 
imagined that he had done enough 5 
the Englifhman, on the contrary, 
thought that he ought to de more, 
and he accordingly did it. If it is 
then in a¢tions, and not in fimple 
words, that real urbanity confifts, 
one is obliged to confefs that the 
Englith are ‘the moft polifhed nation 
in Europe. 
The principle of fuch aétions is 
there alfo more pure, becaufe a 
beggar has no occafion to humble 
himfelf before the moft wealthy, 
and a citizen in eafy circumitances 
knows no bounds to his independ- 
ence. 
The moral character of the Eng- 
lifh has indeed degenerated, but, 
notwithftanding this, it is {till efti- 
mable; for it is not from its parlia- 
ments, its oriental depredators, and 
the crews of its privateers, who 
all aim at a certain end, that we 
ought to judge of the nation. Many 
members of parliament afpire at 
eminent fituations, and allow them- 
felves to be corrupted; fo aifo do 
the adventurers who leave Europe 
with an intention to plunder Afia ; 
and it is the very nature of pirates 
to rob and flaughter. 
Is it from the refufe of a com- 
munity that we are to imbibe our 
opinions of the moral character of a 
people; or frema multitude of god- 
like ations, which are performed 
every day, by thoufands in this 
ifland ? 
An extraordinary event, which 
occurred a few years fince, will ferve 
to elucidate the noble and generous 
manner of thinking among the Eng- 
lih. The emigrations from the 
empire, of which fuch fad complaiats 
are made, even at this day, and 
which 
