North.—But you esteem the French?
Landor.—I despise and abominate the French.
North.—And their literature!
Landor.—And their literature. As to their poets, bad as Ariosto is, divide the Orlando into three parts, and take the worst of them, and although it may contain a large portion of extremely vile poetry, it will contain more of good than the whole French language. [105]
[Footnote 105: Vol. i. p. 290.]
North.—Is Boileau so very contemptible?
Landor.—Beneath contempt. He is a grub. [106]
[Footnote 106: See Mr. Landor's Polite Conversation with De Lille,
Vol. i. and Note at the end, p. 309, 310.]
North.—Racine?
Landor.—Diffuse, feeble, and, like Boileau, meanly thievish. The most admired verse of Racine is stolen, [107] so is almost every other that is of any value.