The Cecil Whig., 1886-07-03
The Feeling Eetween French and English


Ftih.2 GHj-r. Hrmrnon in Tac iHaa'ic
Reasonable jealousy on each side is ex-
tremc!y a"Aiou, 70 prevent the other ma
zion from taking the lead, but unreason
thle Jealousy utterly denies that the ri
val h.s any rank whatever in those arts
where her superiority is not So manifest
as to he absolutely unasSaiIable. As an
example may mention the way in which
the Jealousy Of vulgar French patriotism
treats English cndeavor in the fine arts.
TIE vulgar fgenchnar confounds artists
of the most opposite kinds attributes to
them principles which they do not them
selves either profess or act upon, and
then condemns them without mercy as
ignorant sciolstS in art. ''rhc English"
lie Says, ''baye no painters lie can say
this, because English greatness in art is
not recognized Oh the Continent. like her
commercial AMI manufacturing get
ness. and because the French school has
for Some time been the most Influential
of the mCdc.n schools. The French also
say that the English have no mrs cal
composers, because EAglish composers
do not enjoy the worl1 vide fame OF
Beethoven and MnzlYt There is a
difficulty about denying the rank of Eng-
lish in literature, and it is not attempted
Tne English, OH their side, cannot DENY
: 4
painters and a living theatre, but they
can say, 'Tneie is no University Ill
Farce and There are no scholars in
France there being 20 such c0nstitu
ton As French Oxford. | have rever
been able IT, determine in which nation
the feeling Of .iealously is the stronger
as circumstances happen to excite it.
Possibly it may be more on the surface
in France and deeper in England French
ieal@rSly is ready To eXpicss itself on
triiiing as well as important occasions
Ehglish jealousy is more taciturn, but
increasingly watehtul.
There are two Qualities in the English
that intelligent Frenchmen respect most
heartily and desire to see accimated in
France Tie first is the art of adapting
the = a'g!u pi government to the chang
ias needs Of the nation without oouvul
s!ye disturbance; and the second is the
SIKH of Eu4 llsh statesmen i'll the manage
menS OF their foreign atfairs-a skill
which On tile whole has had these results,
that either En-. land has mcidied in Con
tiucnlal matters in such way as to OBJ
lin the results; she desired, or else, when
she could not compass them, she has
been prudent enough to abstain from
meduling. Therefore, on the whole,
Engllnd's S foreign policy has been either
successful OF safe, whereas that of
France has on various critical occasions
been first Il perilous adventure, and then
disastrous failure.
The English on the other hand, often
admire the cluvciness of the French, but
they do not respect them, except i'll spe.
cial cases. The exceptions generally be-
long TO tilc ants and sciences. An Eng
Eshmdn Who is IA good judge of work
in some speciality will respect French
man who shows great skill in that dirtc-
ton. Tho difficulty with which the Eng
lish can be brought to respect the French
may DO partly explicable by their diff
Guilty in respecting foreigners in general,
unless they have b,en dead for long
time, like Homer and Virgil, or are in
vested with a sacred character, like
Moses and Isaiah.
1t may be further elucidated by the pc
culi@r condition Of the English with re-
gard to respect and contempt generally.
This is a subject of considerable intri-
cacy which cannot be property treated in
few words; but | may observe here that
although the English are said to be de-
ferentiAl people, and have, no doubt, the
habit Of Difference or certain distictions,
they are at the same time eminently con-
tCmptuous people, a people remarkably
in the habit OF despising, even within
the limits of their own island. Their
habit of contempt is Tranquil, but it is
almost constant, and they dwell with
difficulty in that mid lie or neutral state
which neither rcycrences nor despises.
Consequently, when there is not some
very SPECIAL reason for feeling Difference
"a, Il .. IA, 1icl