ENGLISH CHARACTPJRISTICS. 333 



speak of their country's greatness and prosperity, it is as a ser- 

 vant speaks of his master's wealth ; they would see it become a 

 dependency of France or Russia with entire indifference, cer- 

 tainly with exultation if it were promised them that wages should 

 be higher and bread cheaper for it. Again, the Radicals and 

 men of earnest religious faith, with the strongest affection to their 

 country, are in the habit of looking much at what is wrong and 

 shameful in her institutions and qualities, and of comparing them 

 with what is better in other lands. 



Cultivated and large-minded people of all classes, of course, in 

 England as everywhere else, rise above prejudice and vanity, 

 and think and speak fairly and frankly equally of their own or 

 foreign states ; of such eminently, w r e recognize the Earl of Car- 

 lisle and Sir Charles Lyell, and of such are, I believe, a great 

 number of the higher rank of commercial men. The traditional 

 self-complacency of an Englishman, as an Englishman, is more 

 often to be detected, at the present day, by some unnecessary 

 pains he will take to point out to you deficiencies and defects of 

 a trivial character in the article or institution or custom you are 

 considering, he having entire confidence that in contrast with that 

 of any other country it will but be exalted by any such faint dis- 

 paragement of it as is possible. Among the lower class in towns, 

 or in the country, those who have been servants, or in some way 

 connected with or dependent on wealthy old families, there is 

 sometimes to be found the most ludicrously absurd old Tory ideas 

 and prejudices, quite in character with John Bull of the farce ; 

 but the best specimens of it that I have seen were among the 

 smaller sort of shopkeepers, particularly those who advertise 

 tkemseves to be under the patronage of some noble lady. I re- 

 member one that we encountered, soom after we resumed our 

 walks in England after we had been on the Continent, that 

 amused us very much a little, fat, florid, bald-headed John 



