34 ANCIENT HISTORY OF GUERNSEY. 



With bright associations of tliy clime, 

 Mother of early genius, lovely Greece ! 



Franz. 



ANCIENT HISTORY OF GUERNSEY. 



No writer begins a systematic history of a country 

 without first stating whether it possessed a name in 

 former times or not. I am aware that a dissertation 

 on nomenclature is not to all readers an interesting 

 topic. It is, however, proper, briefly to mention how 

 the place alluded to was designated by the older au- 

 thors ; it is proper, not only that historical facts may 

 be identified with their scenes of action, but also that 

 ancient geography may be illustrated by one of those 

 faint gleams of light which, singly, are of little import- 

 ance, but when combined,^ frequently disclose events 

 which were before but obscurely seen. 



Before I proceed to enumerate the British isles, 

 situated in the bay of St. Michael's, it may not be 

 irrelevant to say something of the adjacent coasts.*" 

 The maritime boundaries of the Celtic Gaul of the 

 Romans, which is entirely distinct+ from that of the 

 oriental voyagers, was formerly denominated Armoricay 

 %le pays de Lettau, Lezou or Letavia, and || Neptria or 

 Neustra. In the languages of the Bretons and of the 

 Franks, these names signify literally the peninsular 



* It will be advisable for the reader to follow the text throughout, 

 before he peruses the complex references. 



t Csesar de Bell. Gall. Lib. ii. c. 4. iii. c. II, 17. vii. 75. Hist, 

 viii. 31. Plin. iv. 18. Not. Imp. Diod. Sic. — Strabo. — Dom Martin 

 Grig, des Gaul. St. Gildse apud Act. SS. ord. Bened. T. I.— 

 Lhuyd's Hist, of Wales, and Comment de Brit. — Pelletier advoc. 

 Breis — Triades. 



X Les ou, Let au, le hord de Veau, or maritime margin which is 

 analogous to the better known title of Armorik. 



II Vid. Hadr. Valesius Not. Galliar. — The true etymology of the 

 terms Neus tri, Nep tri, Tudesque and Franc, has, perhas, never 

 been explained ; they signify the Nose, or Peninsular land, vide G. 

 Terrien, Gr. Gout, for the boundaries of this part. 



