The French version of this quote is
printed on the side of the box:
"The French, the eldest sons of
Antiquity, have inherited both the Latin genius
and the Greek character. They are anxious and
inconstant when graced by fortune, but staunch
and invincible in the face of adversity; they
are schooled in the arts and civilized to excess
when the State is running smoothly, but wild and
boorish in times of political unrest, tossed
about like empty vessels at the mercy of their
passions (...); they are vain, scornful,
ambitious, fond of routine yet innovative, and
despise everything alien; as individuals, they
are the most amiable people in the world, while
corporately, they are quite the most unpleasant;
delightful at home, but insufferable
abroad." Chateaubriand
(1768-1848) |
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