ABSTRACT
One commentator with sardonic thoughts on the matter was
the Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus, for a time resident in
England and writing in Latin:
Now, . . . Nature had implanted . . . a sort of communal variety in every
nation and city. Consequently the British think they have a monopoly,
amongst other things, of good looks, musical talent and fine food. The
Scots pride themselves on their nobility and the distinction of their royal
connexions as much as on their subtlety in dialectic. The French lay
claim to polite manners, the Parisians demand special recognition for
their theological acumen which they think exceeds nearly everyone else’s.
The Italians usurp culture and eloquence, and hence they are all happy
