Page:Essays ethnological and linguistic.djvu/24

12 Druids among the Celts, refers to their Equites, and says, "atque eorum ut quisque est genere copiisque amplissimus, ita plurimos circum se ambactos clientesque habet" (lib. vi. § 15). For this word then various derivations have been assigned by Celtic scholars; but passing them by as unsatisfactory, I would suggest, in consonance with our argument, that it should be sought in the Cymric, where accordingly we find still amaeth, 'a husbandman.' Cæsar, by the context entirely, and by the juxtaposition of clientes, clearly referred to the' vassals generally of the Celtic nobles, probably as prædial or personal, and with this explanation the modern Cymric word perfectly agrees.

The French language itself is much more Celtic or Cymric than is commonly supposed. Many of its particles can only be properly understood by a reference to those idioms, and it contains many words taken from them. Those idioms, however, the Cymric and Gaelic, entered very largely into the composition of the Latin also; and when we find this the parent of so many existing modern languages, it becomes a somewhat interesting question to inquire how far that circumstance operated in spreading the Latin language itself. Systematic and unscrupulous as was the plan of colonization carried on by the Romans in connexion with their conquests, it may be a question whether they could have succeeded so completely in forcing their language upon different countries unless they had also found there languages with which their own could coalesce. We shall have to refer to a particular instance of this commingling of idioms hereafter, but at present return to what notices are left us of Gallic words, which are unfortunately very few.

Servius, in his Notes on Virgil (lib. ix. v. 743), mentions a circumstance from Cæsar's lost work 'Ephemerides,' that he had on one occasion been made prisoner by the Gauls, and being hurried away by his captors was met by one who knew him, and seeing him in that state called out in an insulting tone, Cæsar! Cæsar! This word, according to Servius, in Gallic signified dimitte, and the persons who held him prisoner, mistaking it as an order to release him, allowed him to escape. Dr. Anthon seems to consider this story apocryphal, and Celtic scholars have in vain attempted to find a word like Cæsar equivalent to dimitte. But it surely can be no valid reason for doubting the fact, because no such equivalent can be found. It is unreasonable to suppose that Servius would have repeated such a statement unless it had been first given by Cæsar, or that he would have deliberately recorded such an adventure unless it had really