letrangere Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 "Les anglais sont occupés, ils n’ont pas le temps d’être polis."Montesquieu, Mes penséesPucette, I hope you don't mind me highlighting your thought for the day, suspect you won't somehow. Isn't this such an interesting quotation and most apt for this Forum? Had to look him up, I'm afraid, but liked what I found. Born at the chateau de la Brede, that's in les Landes, isn't it? Lots of references to his works but I particularly liked the concluding paragraph: "... a man of simple habits and happy temperament...kindly and benevolent, a good citizen not only of France but of the world." What a splendid epitaph, surely that's something to aim for in life?But how about the English being too busy to be polite? It could be argued that not that much has changed in 300 years.M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas Posted November 6, 2004 Share Posted November 6, 2004 Thank you, he does sound charming.I think that in London at least it is only polite to be too busy to "be polite"... and that English etiquette was probably always different...I still slip up even on things I know about, and no doubt there are plenty of things I don't... I uncomfortably sipped an unwanted cup of coffee watched by half a dozen amused people and thought of my old French teacher's horror story of gasping for thirst in a rather larger room full of people all drinking tea...A new quote every day is a little optimistic, I'll try - and I'll stick to authors I know nothing of if you'll research them for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
letrangere Posted November 7, 2004 Author Share Posted November 7, 2004 thought of my old French teacher's horror story of gasping for thirst in a rather larger room full of people all drinking tea...The teacher would rather die of thirst than drink tea? The way the French often make it, I'm not surprised! That said, weak black tea is quite refreshing.I was curious as to what the English (and I mean English, not British) were doing at the time (early 1700s?) that led Montesquieu to believe we were all too busy to be polite. Presumably (though historians please correct me) we were periodically invading SW France, trying to capture all those magnificent castles we love to visit along the Dordogne? What was in it for the English apart from expanding our territory? Walnuts? prunes? As you can see, I need to sit down and read the book on the 100 Years War that is currently collecting dust on our shelves.Not so sure I agree with Renan, but your adorable dog appears to. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pucette<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Pucette<FONT><P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt">"Qui ne connaît pas la campagne lhiver, ne connaît pas la campagne et ne connaît pas Posted November 7, 2004 Share Posted November 7, 2004 Ah no, being a well-brought-up French person he refused the first offer; being in England he was taken at his word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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