Now
it is to be noticed that those sharp observers, the French,--who have
a double turn for sharp observation, for they have both the quick
perception of the Celt and the Latin's gift for coming plump upon the
fact,--it is to be noticed, I say, that the French put a curious
distinction in their popular, depreciating, we will hope inadequate,
way of hitting off us and the Germans. While they talk of the
'betise allemande,' they talk of the 'gaucherie anglaise;' while they
talk of the 'Allemand balourd,' they talk of the 'Anglais empetre;'
while they call the German 'niais,' they call the Englishman
'melancolique.' The difference between the epithets balourd and
empetre exactly gives the difference in character I wish to seize;
balourd means heavy and dull, empetre means hampered and embarrassed.
This points to a certain mixture and strife of elements in the
Englishman; to the clashing of a Celtic quickness of perception with
a Germanic instinct for going steadily along close to the ground.
The Celt, as we have seen, has not at all, in spite of his quick
perception, the Latin talent for dealing with the fact, dexterously
managing it and making himself master of it; Latin or Latinised
people have felt contempt for him on this account, have treated him
as a poor creature, just as the German, who arrives at fact in a
different way from the Latins, but who arrives at it, has treated
him.
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