e may see the representation of integrity of conduct,
conjugal affection, and domestic happiness, and applauds with enthusiasm
when he sees it, shews no symptoms of shame when detected in a barefaced
attempt to cheat his customers; spends his spare money in the Palais
Royal, and sells his wife or daughter to the highest bidder.

"Among the French," says the intelligent and judicious author of the
Caractere des Armees Europeennes, "the seat of the passions is in the
head--they feel rather from the fancy than the heart--their feelings are
nothing more than thoughts."

Another striking feature of the French character, connected with the
preceding, is the openness, and even eagerness, with which they
communicate all their thoughts and feelings to each other, and even to
strangers. All Frenchmen seem anxious to make the most in conversation,
not only of whatever intellectual ability they possess, but of whatever
moral feelings they experience on any occasion;--they do not seem to
understand why a man should ever be either ashamed or unwilling to
disclose any thing that passes in his mind;--they often suspect their
neighbours of expressing sentiments which they do not feel, but have no
idea of giving them credit for feelings which they do not express.

The French have many _good qualities_; they are very generally obliging
to strangers, they are sober and good-tempered, and little disposed, in
the ordinary concerns of life, to quarrel among themselves, and they
have an amiable cheerfulness of disposition, which supports them in
difficulties and adversity, better than the resolutions of philosophy.
But it is clear that they have very little esteem for the most estimable
of all characters, that of firm and enduring virtue; and in fact, it is
not going too far to say, that a certain _propriety of external
demeanour_ has completely taken the place of correctness of moral
conduct among them. They speak almost uniformly with much abhorrence of
drunkenness, and of all violations of the established forms of society;
and such improprieties are very seldom to be seen among them. Many
Frenchmen, as was already observed, are rough and even ferocious in
their manners; and the language and behaviour of most of them,
particularly in the presence of women, appears to us very frequently
indelicate and rude; yet there are limits to this freedom of manner
which they never allow themselves to pass. Go where you will in Paris,
you will very sel