The passages in this section illustrate how people have thought of the Englishman over the centuries. They include the impressions of writers from England and also from abroad.
By(William) John BirkbeckAndAleksei Stepanovitch Khomyakov
After a visit to England in 1847, Aleksey Khomyakov published his
impressions of our country and our people in a Moscow magazine.
8
Exit Lord Pudding
ByCharles DickensWithWilliam Henry WillsAndGrenville Murray
Piqued by the way French and German literati mocked the English,
Charles Dickens urged his compatriots to be the better men.
9
On Love of Country
ByRichard Price
Richard Price argued that the true patriot does not scold other
countries for being worse than his own; he inspires his own country to be better than it is.
10
The Central People of the World
ByWilliam Monypenny
Some wanted Britain on a path to being a thoroughly European nation, but William Monypenny wanted her at the world’s crossroads.
11
The Fact-Lovers
ByRalph Waldo Emerson
American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson saw the demand for hard evidence as a peculiarly English trait.
12
The Liberty-Lovers
ByRalph Waldo Emerson
American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson praises the English public for still loving freedom, despite their politicians.
