SEUME AND THE ENGLISH
65
Czarina graciously consented. “The Englishman,” writes Seume,
“took his field glasses and looked at the queen, who stood a short
distance before him, put them away again, saluted, and left” (W,
V,244).
We have noticed in these last stories that Seume, although he
likes the individual Briton, is not a great friend of England. He
is particularly troubled by the commercial interests of the English
nation. Not only does he blame the loss of the United States on
the British “commercial spirit” (W, III, 11), he also fears for the
nation’s character (W, III, 13 and 175; IV, 156) and is incensed
at the slave trade carried on by English ships from Bristol and
Liverpool (W, VII, 354, fn. 6; III, 183). Obviously Napoleon’s
propaganda during these years had something to do with this
generally unfavorable opinion of England on the continent. The
phrase coined by Napoleon, “a nation of shopkeepers,” reverberated
through Europe.24 In the Introduction to his translation of Robert
Percival’s An Account of the Cape of Good Hope (Leipzig, 1805),
in which he defends himself against French criticism, Seume dis-
agrees with Percival’s dictum that without England anarchy
would rule the rest of the world (W, VI, 79). As a matter of fact,
he states expressly that the English in their imperialistic ambition
were as bad as the French (W, VI, 78). Nevertheless, he remarks
that a patriot like Percival deserves respect (W, VI, 81). In a
passage in his essay on the “Impertinences” Seume writes that
“the Englishmen are the prototypes of impertinence of money and
power in all matters concerning the rule of the sea and of trade;
otherwise, they are Sufferably decent” (W, VI, 94). Yet he en-
viously states in the years 1806 and 1807 that the English through
their isolation are the only nation that is safe (W, IV, 176).
While formerly he had talked of the English as a liberal people
(W, IV, 7), he now finds that their demand for commercial
privileges indicates a lack of concern for individual liberty (W,
IV, 259). One notices that Seume views developments in the rela-
tion of England to Europe during the Napoleonic era with more
and more alarm and, like many other continentals, grew more and
more dubious about the trustworthiness and stability of England
in the endless war.
Thus we have seen that Seume throughout his life was interested
in the English. Those Englishmen whom he knew personally gener-
ally found his approval, particularly the captain and the five officers
from Malta and perhaps the girl whom he had met in Canada.
Toward Nelson and Lady Hamilton he was understandably bitter.