808.他们也有相似的性情，这种性情使得他们与同胞结成亲密朋友，但很少与外人亲近。他们也互相帮助，喜欢诚实。他们热爱祖国，崇尚国家荣誉。他们看待外国人，就象一个人从宫殿的屋顶上用望远镜看那些在城外居住或徘徊的人。国家的政治事务占据他们的头脑，并充斥他们的心，有时甚至会把他们的心思从能获得智慧的更高研究领域拉回来。中学时专心这类研究的人在他们年轻时就学会了这些东西，但它们象大气现象一样短暂。尽管如此，这些研究却激活了他们的理性官能，使它们闪闪发光，以致于它们形成美丽的图画，就象阳光下的水晶棱镜折射出彩虹，并将彩虹投射到它后面的屏幕上。
808. 他们也有相似的性情, 这种性情使得他们与同胞结成亲密朋友, 但很少与外人亲近。 他们也互相帮助, 喜欢诚实。 他们热爱祖国, 崇尚国家荣誉。 他们看待外国人, 就象一个人从宫殿的屋顶上用望远镜看那些在城外居住或徘徊的人。 国家的政治事务占据他们的头脑, 并充斥他们的心, 有时甚至会把他们的心思从能获得智慧的更高研究领域拉回来。 中学时专心这类研究的人在他们年轻时就学会了这些东西, 但它们象大气现象一样短暂。 尽管如此, 这些研究却激活了他们的理性官能, 使它们闪闪发光, 以致于它们形成美丽的图画, 就象阳光下的水晶棱镜折射出彩虹, 并将彩虹投射到它后面的屏幕上。
808. There is a similarity of mind among the British. As a result, they form close ties with friends from their own country and rarely with others. They give each other aid and love honesty. They are highly patriotic and devote themselves passionately to the glory of their country. Their attitude toward people not born in Britain is much like someone on the roof of a palace looking through a telescope at those who live and wander about outside the city. The politics in their nation occupies their minds and possesses their hearts, sometimes to such a degree that it distracts their spirits from the pursuit of a more refined judgment that would bring them to greater intelligence. As young people and students in the schools they do indeed eagerly tackle such pursuits, but their interest burns out in time like a shooting star. Nevertheless, their rationality is given life by those earlier studies; it sparkles with a light that they shape into beautiful forms, the way a prism placed in the sunlight sends out rainbows and adorns an otherwise plain surface with brilliant colors.
808. Their minds exhibit such similarity that they form close friendships with their compatriots, but rarely with others. They also help one another, and like sincerity. They are patriotic and jealous of their country's honour. They look on foreigners like someone from the roof of his palace turning a telescope upon those who live or wander about outside the town. Their internal politics engross their minds and fill their hearts, sometimes so much so that they withdraw their spirits from studies of more exalted range, the means by which higher intelligence is acquired. Those who devote themselves to such studies in high school learn these things in their youth, but they prove to be transient like atmospheric phenomena. None the less they serve to enliven their rational faculty and make them sparkle, so that they form beautiful pictures, as a crystal prism exposed to sunlight forms rainbows and tinges a screen placed behind it with glowing colours.
808. They possess also a similarity of disposition, which leads them to become closely attached to friends who are of their own nation, but rarely to others; they also aid each other; they love sincerity; they are lovers of their country and are zealous for her glory. They look upon foreigners as one, from the roof of his own palace, might look with a spy-glass at persons dwelling outside of a city, or wandering about there. The political affairs of their kingdom occupy their minds and possess their hearts, sometimes so far as to withdraw their minds from studies of loftier inquiry, by which a higher intelligence is acquired. It is true that these studies are eagerly pursued in youth by those who give attention to them in the schools; but they pass away as transient things. Nevertheless their rationality is quickened by these studies, and sparkles with a light by which they form beautiful images, as a glass prism turned toward the sun forms a rainbow, and paints it in glowing colors on a plane surface fixed to receive it.
808. Similarity of disposition leads them to form intimate friendships with their own countrymen, and seldom with others. They also help one another and love sincerity. They are lovers of their country, and zealous for its glory, and they regard foreigners much as a prince looking through a telescope from the roof ofhis palace regards those who dwell or wander about outside the city. The political affairs of their country engage their attention and possess their hearts, sometimes to such a, degree as to withdraw their minds from studies which require deeper judgment and by which a higher intelligence is attained. These higher studies are indeed pursued by the young people who show an aptitude for such things at school; but they pass away like visions that lack reality. Nevertheless their rationality is quickened by these studies, and it sparkles with a light from which they fashion beautiful images, as a crystal prism, turned towards the sun, forms the colors of the rainbow, and tinges any plain surface presented to it with glowing hues.
808. Est similitudo animorum inter illos, ex qua cum amicis, qui ex Patria eorum sunt, ligant familiaritatem, et raro cum aliis; mutuam opem etiam ferunt; ac sinceritatem amant: Sunt amantes Patriae, et Zelotes ejus gloriae; et spectant Alienigenas, sicut quis ex tecto Palatii sui per tubum opticum spectat ad habitantes et palantes extra urbem. Politica Regni sui occupant mentes et possident corda illorum, quandoque in tantum, ut abstrahant spiritus eorum a studiis sublimioris judicii, per quae superior intelligentia comparatur; haec quidem in juventute illi, qui talibus in Lyceis intendunt, hauriunt; sed transeunt sicut phaenomena; at usque ex illis rationalitas eorum fit viva, et micat luce, ex qua formant pulchras imagines, sicut Prisma Chrystallinum obversum soli format irides, et planum objectum fulvis coloribus tingit.