Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-05-26
A French Analysis of the English
Character.


From Langels England Political and Social.
The English gentleman is not the
French qentilhomme. The qualities of
his Temperament are colder, more Sc
rious. His courage is not fiery, head
strong and chivalrous; he is always
calm; he neither seeks nor likes extreme
danger, except to display his Indifference.
Neither is he the h0nnete homDle OF Louis
XIV. He is less of courtier, less pol
ished, less easy. He never quite abne-
gates himself; he respects himself too
much to put on an air of nothingness or
admire it in others. What IN the ieudal
baron was indominable pride has in the
lapse OF centuries become quiet assur-
ance. Per contra, egotism, that senti-
ment by virtue of which man dares to
be himself is accompanied by scrupu.
lous regard for the rights of others, a
delicate reserve that borders at times on
timidity. But there is no finer trait In
this character than its manly love OF
truth. The soul clings to it with such
intensity that it is imbued with it, aud
falsehood becomes an impossibility. The
English aristocracy is the most trustwor-
thy, the most truthful in the world. a
gentleman would blush Of changing his
name or usurping title. Nor would he
find willing dupes to so low a deceit.
Nowhere has the value of human words
been more carefully weighed. We must
90 to the English courts to study the art
Of giving testimony, and of understand
ing and interpreting testimony. The
Anglo-Saxon lie is not the naive, swag
gering lie OF the southern peoples, lie
that has no object and is tickled with it
self. The Anglo-Saxon lie seems, even
to those who are guilty OF it, horrible
extremity. The eye never loses the abili-
ty to discern the light from the shade,
the true from the false. The soul goes
straight for the truth, like we'll aimed
arrow, and swerves from its path only
with great effort. Conventionalities,
prejudices, fictions, are so many wells in
which the spirit envelopes itself that it
may not perceive the truth too clearly.
If people proceed slowly, it is only be-
cause they do not like to contradict them
selves. If a child, says johnson, declares
that he has locked out of this window,
and he has looked out Of that, fog him.
The air of freedom is fatal TO deceit. To
say Of q man that he is safe is the best
praise that one can give. The English
gentleman has no trouble in keeping
secret. He himself is living secret.
His life is woven of prudence and re-
serve. he has few confdants; he does
not like to expose TO the eyes Of another
the weaknesses, the contradictions, the
incoheriencies Of this hidden life. He
does not give himself up to the idle com
plainings, the indiscreet impreeations OF
the people OF the south. We feel in
every man the limitations of hidden
life; the heart is not gate whose hinges
are worn. Loves and hates are silent.
Conscience, cased in thicker wrappings,
| is more delicate, more tender, more NOR
bid. Words are measured, because words
are acts. The Englishman fulflls the
obligations of friendship with scrupu
lous care, which suggests too much Of
duty, and too little Of pleasure. 1t is the
same with his hospitality. He owes it to
himself to treat his guest we'll; he shows
him flowers, pictures, horses, everything
that he possesses-of himself, very little.
In land of aristocracy, the type Of the
gentleman represents the principle Of
equality. The least shade Of servility or
flsttery, instructive emotion in the pres
ence of rank or wealth, imitation, affec-
htation, are dissonances. Imitation in
every shape is vulgar; affectation is a
shock to sincerity. The utmost that can
be tolerated is a certain kind ofawkward
ness resembling shamefacedness. But
the ideal is a perfect equilibrium between
/ - IA o-roortorr batwean tho,rbt
and action, with a quiet ease that ig-
nores even more than it disdains all
sbams, all insulting homage, the useless
luxury of vanity. Thus tits that virtue,
honor, the culture Of the mind have en-
gendered q certain equality even in the
very lap Of privilege. just as, in the an
Gent noblesse in France, one gentil-
homme was as good as every other, so
in English society, gentleman is a gen.
tleman.