France: Intriguing Adversary

Other Passages of Interest

A Frenchman in consequence of his mingling with the females from his infancy, not only becomes acquainted with all their customs and humours; but grows wonderfully alert in performing a thousand little offices, which are overlooked by other men, whose time hath been spent in making more valuable acquisitions.  (Smollett 65)

The company of women of fashion will improve your manners, though not your understanding; and that complaisance and politeness, which are so useful in men's company, can only be acquired in women's.  (Chesterfield 128)

Instead of finding fault with the customs of that place, and telling the people that the English ones are a thousand times better (as my countrymen are very apt to do), he [the well-bred man] commends their table, their dress, their houses, and their manners, a little more, it may be, than he really thinks they deserve.  But this degree of complaisance is neither criminal nor abject; and is but a small price to pay for the good-will and affection of the people you converse with.  (Chesterfield 99)

I was much mortified to find that I had treated a nobleman so scurvily, and scolded my own people for not having more penetration than myself.  I dare say he did not fail to descant upon the brutal behavior of the Englishman; and that my mistake served with him to confirm the national reproach of bluntness, and ill breeding, under which we lie in this country.  (Smollett 76)

"The courage of the besiegers [of the Bastille] was inflamed by the horrors of famine, there being at this time only twenty-four hours provision of bread in Paris" (Williams 75)

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Religion:

    Buck.    An't she a papist?
    Mr. Sub.    Undoubtedly.
    Buck.    Then I'll ha' nothing to say to her.
    Mr. Sub.    Oh fy! who minds the religion of a pretty woman? besides, all this country are of the
same. (Foote 10)

    Mrs. Sub.    All clandestine marriages are void in this country.
    Buck.    Damn the country: in London now, a footman may drive to May-Fair, and in five minutes be tacked to a countess: but there's no liberty here.
    Mrs. Sub.    Some inconsiderate couples have indeed gone off post to protestant states; but I hope my ward will have more prudence.  (Foote 18)

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Trade:

As to our trade with France, it would be well for us that we had no trade with them, since the balance of our trade with them is greatly against us, and every year growing worse.  As we are so much superior by sea to both these nations, it would be happy for us that France would join in this war with the Spaniards, since it would give us a very proper occasion to destroy those great branches of trade which they have got into since the last war, and so much outdo us. (qtd. in Wilson 293)

Since that Time [1713] the French have imitated the greatest Part of our Woollens, and invented others to which our Artisans are yet Strangers; as I saw proved by a collection of all their Stuffs, which a Gentleman had curiously made in the Year 1734. . . . he had nicely examined into the Cost if every Sort, and we as exactly compared them with our own, and found them to be considerably under the Price of the same here; and what added to their Value, they were generally more substantial than our's, though for less Money. . . . This Perfection and Cheapness of their Manufactures, has. . . enabled them to supplant us in the Spanish, Italian, and Turkish markets; . . . (qtd. in Wilson 295)

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