A

HISTORY OP ENGLAND,

chap, ^en first they became known to the Tyrian mariners, were

-little superior to the natives of the Sandwich Islands. She

was subjugated by the Roman arms; but she received only afaint tincture of Roman arts and letters. Of the western pro-vinces which obeyed the Caesars she was the last that was con-quered, and the first that was flung away. No magnificentremains of Latian porches and aqueducts are to be found inBritain. No winter of British birth is reckoned among themasters of Latian poetry and eloquence. It is not probablethat the islanders were at any time generally familiar with thetongue of their Italian rulers. From the Atlantic to the vici-nity of the Rhine the Latin has, during many centuries, beenpredominant. It drove out the Celtic; it was not driven outby the Teutonic; and it is at this day the basis of the French,Spanish, and Portuguese languages. In our island the Latinappears never to have superseded the old Gaelic speech, andcould not stand its ground against the German.

The scanty and superficial civilisation which the Britonshad derived from their southern masters was effaced by thecalamities of the fifth century. In the continental kingdomsinto which the Roman empire was then dissolved, the con-querors learned much from the conquered race. In Britainthe conquered race became as barbarous as the conquerors.

Britain All the chiefs who founded Teutonic dynasties in the con-

under the . t . ^ • *i . m

Saxons, tinental provinces of the Roman empire, Alaric, Theodorio,Clovis, Alboin, were zealous Christians. The followers of Idaand Cerdic, on the other hand, brought to their settlements inBritain all the superstitions of the Elbe. While the Germanprinces who reigned at Paris, Toledo, Arles, and Ravennalistened with reverence to the instructions of bishops, adoredthe relics of martyrs, and took part eagerly in disputes touch-ing the Nicene theology, the rulers of Wessex and Merciawere still performing savage rites in the temples of Thor andWoden.