NATIONAL PilEJUDICE. 25 



stratum of dislike towards us. Politeness gives a smooth- 

 ness to his outside ; but let some of the rubs of life occur, 

 and the Frenchman turns out rough enough. This is tho 

 fruit of the constant wars and rivalry of the last 500 years. 

 Whole provinces held by the English ; scores of towns sacked 

 and pillaged ; Paris in our possession twice in our own time ; 

 and all this exaggerated by tradition : can we wonder if they 

 feel a little sore towards us ? At this moment there are thou- 

 sands of living Frenchmen who were our prisoners of war, 

 for, in truth, almost all their seamen were taken at one time 

 or other during the war, and these have well nursed their 

 wrath and kept it alive until the present time. Of course, 

 prisoners of war cannot be treated like guests, and hence 

 many a long score of offence. I heard of one man in a 

 neighbouring village, who, on his return from an English 

 prison, made a vow that he would kill the first Englishman 

 he met, and I dare say he performed it. Think too of the 

 prejudices excited against us ! Why, part of the stock-in- 

 trade of a government is to blacken its opponents; and 

 think of this in war ! For instance, the Englishman, when 

 he buttons on his great coat, thinks that the broad cloth 

 encloses the most honest and frank par excellence of God's 

 creatures. All right and straightforward, nothing sneaking 

 about him, thank Heaven ! But what says, or at any rate 

 thinks, the Frenchman on the subject? Why, that the 

 aforesaid John is a puffed up, vulgar fellow, full of obso- 

 lete prejudices, deriving his influence from his purse ; an 

 overgrown bully, overbearing in peace and cowardly in 

 war. The Frenchman conquers by fair fight, but snealdng 

 John uses the dagger and the poison. Gently, good John ! 



