The next train, in the knightly roachalvacade, embraced in the retinues of its leaders the representative extremes of humanity in the British Isles. They had bluff apetital features, with but a slight remnant predisposition to the philosophical swinishness that enveloped with fatty folds the direct descendants of their Saxo-German antecedents. In the place of jowled lethargy, they presented bold taural fronts, with a canine expression of tenacity about their mouths, that would cause you to involuntarily shrink from a collision with their heads and teeth. Indeed, their general aspect was stout and still in manifestation, indicating strong bodily self-reliance. The women exhibited a robust air of independence, with the pleasing accompaniment of rosy complexions, in strong contrast with the pale, inanimative features of their German cousins, which declared at sight their freedom from servility, with the exhibition of a coexistent power that could turn or tame the obstinate fronts of the males, when within the circle of their domestic domain.
Following close in the rear of English lead, came the Gallic French, who with chattering volubility and grimace, more than supplied the paucity of words used by those in advance. In personal characteristics they were in every respect foreign to their preceding neighbors. Without listening or replying they all talked in medley, which impressed me with the conviction that they had no definite ideas beyond the present evidences of their existence, or hopes of a future free from the predominating influence of their bodies’ frivolous selfishness. This impression was confirmed by the tribune, who said that sympathy with, and confidence in their kind, were alike ignored, each holding that the gratification afforded by the passing moment, was the only happiness and real hope, life afforded.
“In accordance with these assumptions, which they verify in act, we have found them loquaciously factious, and quite as unsettled as their Giga countrymen and exemplars; expressing in a breath the strongest terms of wordy affection and hatred for the same person, and in their constantly recurring civil feuds, destroying their rulers and relatives with less compunction than individuals of an opposing race. In verity from frivolous habits in thought and act, they have become despicable examples of the disorganizing effect of infidelity to Creative indications designed for our self-control. The French women, as you observe in the boldness of their public demeanor, are as vivaciously apt for the illustration of the opposite gender’s instinctive ideas of happiness in domestic association, as the German are submissive.”