confidingness, this complaisance, this showing-the-cards of German HONESTY, is probably the most dangerous and most successful disguise which the German is up to nowadays: it is his proper Mephistophelean art; with this he can “still achieve much”!

The German lets himself go, and thereby gazes with faithful, blue, empty German eyes — and other countries immediately confound him with his dressing-gown! — I meant to say that, let “German depth” be what it will — among ourselves alone we perhaps take the liberty to laugh at it — we shall do well to continue henceforth to honour its appearance and good name, and not barter away too cheaply our old reputation as a people of depth for Prussian “smartness,” and Berlin wit and sand. It is wise for a people to pose, and