5951. The English
The native character of the English is such that if anything is written that has not been approved by those by whom they have at some time been impressed, they see nothing there other than the words, that is to say, only what is written and not what it means. They are like those who listen to a speaker and give their attention only to the words of the speech and its eloquence and not to the speaker's meaning. But when anything written is approved by those by whom they have been impressed, they do not then see the words but the general meaning. They are then as it were in the light about what has been written so that approval enlightens them. This is why if anything is praised by these [authorities], it sells by thousands, but if it is not praised, no one buys it, scarcely anyone in the whole Kingdom. They are all like this.
5951. THE ENGLISH.
The English are of such a temper, that, if anything is written which is not approved by those of whom they have once formed a favorable opinion, they see nothing in it except the letter, or sense of the letter, and not the general sense, or are like one who hears a speaker and attends only to the words of the speech and its eloquence, and not to the speaker's meaning. But when anything written is approved by those of whom they have formed a favorable opinion, they do not then see the sense of the letter, but the general sense. They are, then, as it were in illustration regarding the thing written, so that the approval [of those they esteem] confers illustration on them. Hence it is, [that] when anything is commended by these, it is procured by thousands; but, if not commended, it is not procured by anyone, scarcely by one in the whole kingdom. So like are they all to one another.
5951. De Anglis
Angli tali genio sunt, ut si aliquid scriptum quod non approbatum ab illis de quibus semel opinionem ceperunt, non videant ibi nisi quam literam, seu sensum literae et non communem sensum, seu sicut qui audit loquentem et modo attendit ad voces loquelae et ejus concinnitatem, et non sensum loquentis; at cum aliquod scriptum approbatum est ab illis de quibus ceperunt opinionem, tunc non vident sensum literae, sed sensum communem, sunt tunc quasi in illustratione de re scripta, sic ut approbatio det illis illustrationem. Inde est, quando aliquid laudatur ab illis, [quod] tunc comparetur id a millibus, at si non laudetur, non comparetur ab aliquo, vix ab uno in toto Regno: tam similes sunt sibi omnes.