"Oui, monsieur."
"Vous etes Catholique?"
"Monsieur, je suis de la religion de mes ancetres."
"Pardon, monsieur, vos ancetres etaient Catholiques jusqu'au temps de
Henri Huit."
"Mais il y a trois cents ans depuis le temps de Henri Huit."
"Eh bien; chacun a ses convictions; vous ne parlez pas contre la
religion?"
"Jamais, jamais, monsieur, j'ai un respect enorme pour l'eglise
Catholique."
"Monsieur, faites comme chez vous; allez ou vous voulez; vous trouverez
toutes les portes ouvertes. Amusez vous bien."
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE DECLINE OF ITALIAN ART. (FROM CHAPTER XIII. OF
ALPS AND SANCTUARIES.)
Those who know the Italians will see no sign of decay about them. They
are the quickest-witted people in the world, and at the same time have
much more of the old Roman steadiness than they are generally credited
with. Not only is there no sign of degeneration, but, as regards
practical matters, there is every sign of health and vigorous
development. The North Italians are more like Englishmen, both in body,
and mind, than any other people whom I know; I am continually meeting
Italians whom I should take for Englishmen if I did not know their
nationality. They have all our strong points, but they have more grace
and elasticity of mind than we have.
Priggishness is the sin which doth most easily beset middle-class, and so-
called educated Englishmen; we call it purity and culture, but it does
not much matter what we call it.
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