Читать книгу These are the British онлайн
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For one whose roots are deep in his own country, the British are a difficult people to understand. But they are worth understanding. They are worth knowing. Long ago, at a somewhat more difficult period of Anglo-American relations, Benjamin Franklin warned his colleagues that if they did not all hang together, they would assuredly hang separately. Good advice for Americans and Britons today.
DREW MIDDLETON
Bessboro Farm
Westport, Essex County
New York
March 12, 1957
I. Britain Today
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They called thee Merry England in old time. WILLIAM WORDSWORTH
It was never good times in England since the poor began to speculate on their condition.
CHARLES LAMB
To begin: the British defy definition. Although they are spoken of as "the British," they are not one people but four. And of these four, three—the Scots, the Welsh, and the Irish—are fiercely jealous of their national identity. The English are less concerned. They have been a nation a very long time, and only on occasions like St. George's Day do they remind themselves, a bit shamefacedly, that the English are the central force of the British people. Of course, if there are Scots, Welsh, or Irish in the company, the English keep this comforting thought to themselves.