Page:Essays ethnological and linguistic.djvu/55

Rh the tyranny of the Romans, but there so few and powerless that they became amalgamated with and eventually lost in the community of their new invaders.

Of the other nations of England I shall not attempt to individualize any as admitting a decided description. Ethnology and Philosophy itself as I venture to suggest require that we should make as little distinction as possible where there is no real difference. It seems to me therefore idle to dwell on local or sectional names at the time of the Roman conquest, any more than we should now speak of Londoners, Brightoners and Doverites, as if they were a distinct people of different nationalities.

Still notwithstanding these results it appears to me that there must have been left in all parts of England various large portions of the ancient inhabitants whether Gaul or Cymri who became mixed up and amalgamated with the constantly increasing swarms of German invaders, and who with them formed the English language and manners and institutions as we find them. The English language presents in itself the most convincing proofs of this amalgamation, and though Lexicographers have hitherto very unwisely neglected to search into this fountain spring of its original sources, I trust that our future writers will be influenced to do so under Ethnological conclusions and to give this consideration a juster appreciation.

It would be taking up too much time, were I to attempt now to enter on the proofs of my assertions. It will be sufficient for me to reserve to myself the right to do so in case this paper should be considered worthy of publication. In the mean while I think I shall show abundant evidences in the course of my further observations how much the English language owes to the ancient Cymric and Gaelic inhabitants for a considerable portion of the knowledge handed down to us. I proceed therefore to the next principal object of this Paper to show that the ancient Britons at the time of the Roman invasion must have been already considerably advanced in civilization, or at any rate far above being the miserable savages they are generally depicted. This I attempt to prove 1st, from the statements of ancient writers, especially Cæsar; and 2d, from the relics of that civilization handed down in our language as we now possess it.

That the Britons under the Roman dominion retrograded considerably in their previously nascent civilization, may be freely taken for granted. We cannot suppose that the Romans treated them with any more mercy than they showed to every other people subjected to their tyranny. Cæsar who