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The English, a spirited nation, claim the empire of the sea; the French, a calmer nation, claim that of the air.

— Louis XVIII when Comte de Provence (1783)

Les Anglais, nation trop fière,
S'arrogent l'empire des mers;
Les Français, nation légère,
S'emparent de celui des airs.

Original text (French)

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More quotes by Louis XVIII

We are Frenchmen—a title, which the crimes of a few individuals can no more degrade than the enormities of the Duke of Orleans can pollute the blood of Henry the Fourth. This title, which was ever dear to us, will also render us dear to those who bear it.

Declaration of Verona (1795)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Louis XVIII (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.