XIV.] THE CAUCASIC PEOPLES. 535 



But pending a more thorough fusion of such tenacious elements 

 as Basques, Bretons, Auvergnats, and Savoyards, we 

 can scarcely yet speak of a common French type, Traits.** 1 

 but only of a common nationality. Tall stature, 

 long skulls, fair or light brown colour, grey or blue eyes, still pre- 

 vail, as might be expected, in the north, these being traits common 

 alike to the prehistoric Belgae, the Franks of the Merovingian 

 and Carlovingian empires, and Rollo's Norsemen. With these 

 contrast the southern peoples of short stature, olive-brown skin, 

 round heads, dark brown or black eyes and hair. The tendency 

 towards uniformity has proceeded far more rapidly in the urban 

 than in the rural districts. Hence the citizens of Paris, Lyons, 

 Bordeaux, Marseilles and other large towns, present fewer and less 

 striking contrasts than the natives of the old historical provinces, 

 where are still distinguished the loquacious and mendacious 

 Gascon, the pliant and versatile Basque, the slow and wary 

 Norman, the dreamy and fanatical Breton, the quick and enter- 

 prising Burgundian, and the bright, intelligent, more even-tempered 

 native of Touraine, a typical Frenchman occupying the heart of 

 the land, and holding, as it were, the balance between all the 

 surrounding elements. 



Taken as a whole the modern Frenchman stands somewhat 

 intermediate between the southern and northern peoples, less 

 steadfast than the Teuton, more energetic than the Italian, less 

 personally independent than the Briton. The moral sentiment 

 is also defective, as seen in the love of show and glory, which 

 is certainly stronger than the sense of duty. On the other hand, 

 the artistic feeling is highly developed, while the purely intellectual 

 qualities are far above the average, as reflected in the scientific 

 and literary work of the nation, and in the cultivated language, 

 which within certain limits is almost an ideally perfect instrument 

 of human thought, although still suffering from the enfeebling 

 effects of the drawing-room and academical refinements of Bourbon 

 times. The French excel also in conversational powers, and in 

 all matters pertaining to taste, etiquette, tact, and the social 

 amenities, where brilliancy and esprit find freer scope than 

 the more solid qualities of the reasoning faculty. It is note- 

 worthy that France has produced few leaders of thought except 



