X.
English Boys' Patriotism put to a Severe Test. — Their Opinion of French Victories. — King Louis VI. of France and the English Soldier at the Battle of Brenneville. — An English Boy on French Wrestling. — Young Tory Democrats. — 'Imperium et Libertas.' — A Patriotic Answer. — Duck and Drake.
I am afraid I often put the patriotism of English boys to a severe test.
I generally liked to place in their hands such books as would relate to them the glorious past of France, and teach them to respect her. Let those who do not love their country throw the first stone at me.
Bossuet's "Funeral Orations," Voltaire's "Siècle de Louis XIV.," D'Aubigné's "History of Bayard," Bonnechose's "Lazare Hoche," were among my favorite text-books.
I need not say that I always avoided recommending historical books which, like Bonnechose's "Bertrand du Guesclin," for instance, referred to struggles between France and England. For obvious reasons, I have always preferred reading the accounts of the battles of Cressy, Poictiers, and Agincourt in French histories to reading them in English ones; [ [12] ] and I imagined that Bertrand du Guesclin would not inspire in my pupils the same admiration as he did in us French boys.
But what fiery patriots these British lads are! Why, they would like to monopolize all the victories mentioned in history.
Bossuet's panegyric of Louis XIV. drove them frantic, half mad. Dear little fellows! they were wriggling with pain on their seats as we were reading: "This king, the terror of his enemies, who holds the destinies of Europe in the hollow of his hand and strikes with awe the whole astonished world."