Juicy Quote.

I've been reading James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson, a truly delightful work. Now I have nothing against the French, except their liberal political views, but it's obvious the English have this fetish for French-bashing, which I find quite amusing. Here is Dr. Johnson's opinion.

"Dr. Adams found him [Samuel Johnson] one day busy at his Dictionary, when the following dialogue ensued. - 'Adams. This is a great work, Sir. How are you to get all the etymologies? Johnson. Why, Sir, here is a shelf with Junius, and Skinner, and others; and there is a Welch gentleman who has published a collection of Welch proverbs, who will help me with the Welch. Adams. But, Sir, how can you do this in three years? Johnson. Sir, I have no doubt that I can do it in three years. Adams. But the French Academy, which consists of forty members, took forty years to compile their Dictonary. Johnson. Sir, thus it is. This is the proportion. Let me see; forty times forty is sixteen hundred. As three to sixteen hundred, so is the proportion of an Englishman to a Frenchman."

Hope you liked.