"
My friends the Nyons lawyers were fond of alluding to themselves
as forming part of the bonne bourgeoisie. It is this bonne
bourgeoisie who form the backbone of France. Frugal, immensely
industrious, cultured, and with a very high standard of honour,
they are far removed from the frivolous, irresponsible types of
French people to be seen at smart watering-places, and they are
less dominated by that inordinate love of money which is an
unpleasant element in the national character, and obscures the
good qualities of the hard-working French peasants, making them
grasping and avaricious.
It must be admitted that this class of the French bourgeoisie
surveys the world from rather a Chinese standpoint. The Celestial,
as is well known, considers all real civilisation confined to
China. Every one outside the bounds of the Middle Kingdom is a
barbarian. This is rather the view of the French bourgeois. He is
convinced that all true civilisation is centred in France, and
that other countries are only civilised in proportion as French
influence has filtered through to them.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211