he was not unhappy for temeraire to have an example before him of dragons in their natural state , without any influence of men : the ferals ' existence offered a happy contrast with the elevated circumstances of the chinese dragons , by which comparison the lot of british dragons need not look so very ill , and he was glad temeraire so plainly felt his own position superior to theirs ; but laurence was dubious of the wisdom of thus provoking them into a more active envy and perhaps to belligerence .