We see your fine gentleman, or your petit bourgeois, give himself the airs of a critic or a philosopher; and because he is neither a Scaliger nor a Newton, we forget that he is only the bourgeois or the pelit maitre, and set down all your philosophers and critics with the censure of superficiality, which this shallow individual of a shallow order may justly have deserved.

We, the English, it is true, do not expose ourselves thus: our dandies, our tradesmen, do not vent second rate philosophy on the human mind, nor on les beaux arts: but why is this?
Not because they are better informed than their correspondent ciphers in France, but because they are much worse; not because they can say a great deal more on the subject, but because they can say nothing at all." "You do us more than justice," said Monsieur D'A--, "in this instance: are you disposed to do us justice also in another?
It is a favourite propensity of your countrymen to accuse us of heartlessness and want of feeling.

Think you that this accusation is deserved ?" "By no means," replied Vincent.

"The same cause that brought on the erroneous censure we have before mentioned, appears to me also to have created this; viz.

a sort of Palais Royal vanity, common to all your nation, which induces you to make as much display at the shop window as possible.