那里的空气轻柔而宜人。人民通达而聪颖，许多人很有学问。他们如此精通自己的经典，因此我即便不去意大利也毫无遗憾。英格兰的少女不仅美若天仙，还有一种风情令你无论如何赞美也不为过。当你在四处旅行，少女们都会过来亲吻你。你来时她们吻你，你去时她们也吻你。你再回来时她们还会吻你。一旦你品尝过她们的双唇何其柔软而香甜，你就会在这里度过一生。

以拉斯谟论英格兰 (1497)

The air is soft and delicious. The men are sensible and intelligent. Many of them are learned. They know their classics, and so accurately that I have lost little in not going to Italy. The English girls are divinely pretty and they have one custom which cannot be too much admired. When you go anywhere on a visit, the girls all kiss you. They kiss you when you arrive. They kiss you when you go away. They kiss you when you return. Once you have tasted how soft and fragrant those lips are, you would spend your life here.

Erasmus on England (1497)