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Article COLLEGE MUSINGS. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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College Musings.
to exchange my present situation for one so pregnant with misery . I have suffered reverses enough already at my green youth , without putting myself into jeopardy on the score of political opinion . Quis bonus est , Qui , & c . ( Sic & c . says the hackneyed example in my old Eton grammar , and it is a maxim of the ancient poet claiming consideration
. ***** I have often heard people in England talk prodigiously fine about French politesse , and the elegant example they set other nations in refinement of manners , good-breeding , & c . & c . ; but , to speak candidly and without prejudice , no very lively specimens of such an attribute have fallen beneath my own observation . An exception may be pleaded in favour of the ancien imewhose members indubitablexceed jeune
reg , y France in the chivalry of high-bred politeness and deportment . The deterioration of good manners in the modern generation of Frenchmen , probably is owing to the anarchical principles imbibed during the reign of terror , and the old revolution ; so that , perhaps , what they lost in external blandishments they gained in intrinsic qualities of the head and heart . Memento , obliging reader , I confine my critique to the male part of the populationforwithout mawkish scrules or dread of
; , any p being cashiered for want of gallantry , I declare the crania of the feminine gender seemed to me not to teem with one idea beyond adorning their toyty forms , and making the nobler order of the creation slaves to their selfish caprices and whims . This judgment may be condemned as too severe ; and I freely admit , to the superficial observer , it will appear so . Unhesitatingly I allow there are innumerable amiable exceptions , but the rule is as I have applied it .
Albeit , I suddenly find myself treading on the brink of a precipitous precipice , and in immediate danger of falling under the ban of the fairest of nature ' s gifts . So , so , I must venture no farther in my censorship over such an absolute body . It is as imprudent and indiscreet as meddling with politics and religion , weapons that , like women , are very dangerous to touch , unless with well-skilled management . However , thus much I will splutter despite all gagging , or the formidable array of indignant gestures and fire-lit it incitethat the tongues of those
eyes may , Parisian demoiselles at the vaudeville last night , bespoke all that can constitute rudeness of behaviour , or narrow-minded national prejudice . Fair reader , they were instituting invidious comparisons with my countrywomen , and hence my pique and gall , or my just vituperation , as you like it .
But to turn to a more facetious topic , and expunge all angry recollections of an instance of bad taste and bad manners , though exhibited by French women , I will relate a curious dialogue , which occurred between myself and a humourous Abbe I casually encountered in one of my diurnal peregrinations . The conversation turned in a singular manner , I say singular , because I universally make it a point never to discuss such subjects , on the peculiar tenets he professed to believe . I observed— "then , my reverend friend , you really do believe when you receive the elements at the sacrifice of the mass , you virtually take into your intestines the real body and blood of Christ ? " " Qui , monsieur ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
College Musings.
to exchange my present situation for one so pregnant with misery . I have suffered reverses enough already at my green youth , without putting myself into jeopardy on the score of political opinion . Quis bonus est , Qui , & c . ( Sic & c . says the hackneyed example in my old Eton grammar , and it is a maxim of the ancient poet claiming consideration
. ***** I have often heard people in England talk prodigiously fine about French politesse , and the elegant example they set other nations in refinement of manners , good-breeding , & c . & c . ; but , to speak candidly and without prejudice , no very lively specimens of such an attribute have fallen beneath my own observation . An exception may be pleaded in favour of the ancien imewhose members indubitablexceed jeune
reg , y France in the chivalry of high-bred politeness and deportment . The deterioration of good manners in the modern generation of Frenchmen , probably is owing to the anarchical principles imbibed during the reign of terror , and the old revolution ; so that , perhaps , what they lost in external blandishments they gained in intrinsic qualities of the head and heart . Memento , obliging reader , I confine my critique to the male part of the populationforwithout mawkish scrules or dread of
; , any p being cashiered for want of gallantry , I declare the crania of the feminine gender seemed to me not to teem with one idea beyond adorning their toyty forms , and making the nobler order of the creation slaves to their selfish caprices and whims . This judgment may be condemned as too severe ; and I freely admit , to the superficial observer , it will appear so . Unhesitatingly I allow there are innumerable amiable exceptions , but the rule is as I have applied it .
Albeit , I suddenly find myself treading on the brink of a precipitous precipice , and in immediate danger of falling under the ban of the fairest of nature ' s gifts . So , so , I must venture no farther in my censorship over such an absolute body . It is as imprudent and indiscreet as meddling with politics and religion , weapons that , like women , are very dangerous to touch , unless with well-skilled management . However , thus much I will splutter despite all gagging , or the formidable array of indignant gestures and fire-lit it incitethat the tongues of those
eyes may , Parisian demoiselles at the vaudeville last night , bespoke all that can constitute rudeness of behaviour , or narrow-minded national prejudice . Fair reader , they were instituting invidious comparisons with my countrywomen , and hence my pique and gall , or my just vituperation , as you like it .
But to turn to a more facetious topic , and expunge all angry recollections of an instance of bad taste and bad manners , though exhibited by French women , I will relate a curious dialogue , which occurred between myself and a humourous Abbe I casually encountered in one of my diurnal peregrinations . The conversation turned in a singular manner , I say singular , because I universally make it a point never to discuss such subjects , on the peculiar tenets he professed to believe . I observed— "then , my reverend friend , you really do believe when you receive the elements at the sacrifice of the mass , you virtually take into your intestines the real body and blood of Christ ? " " Qui , monsieur ,