64 PAPERS, ETC. 



were not inconsiderable ; that other tribes, froru time to 

 tinie, had come to the coast from neighbouring sbores of 

 Continental Europe, among whicb tbe Belga?, wbo took 

 possession of a considerable part of tbe soutbern and 

 western connties, appear to bave beld the higbest rank botb 

 in military and domestic civilization ; tbat long before the 

 time of Caesar tbey understood the art of mining, and 

 carried on a considerable trade in the produce of their 

 inines, not only with their neigbbours on the coast of Gaul, 

 but probably with the Carthaginians and even Phoenicians. 

 During the Roinan occupation, the country, though suffer- 

 ing extreme depression, became really a part of the 

 civilized world, and before tbey finally left it was inbabited 

 by a polished and Christian people, in no degree dcficient 

 in refinement proper to the inhabitants of an important 

 province of the great Roman empire ; but the great 

 northern hive was now sending forth its swarms of fierce 

 barbarians, and, though strongly opposed for füll 200 years 

 by the brave and warlike Romano-Britons, eventually 

 swept from the face of the earth almost every relic of 

 Roman civilization. Even the language disappeared from 

 the greater part of the island ; and even where the north- 

 ern barbarian did not carry bis exterminating arms, tbe 

 population, isolated from tbe civilized worltl, rapidly dege- 

 nerated into barbarism, and have left us no records either 

 of the Celtic or Romano-Briton periods, except a few 

 poems, which must be considered in sorae degree mythical, 

 and must be followed most cautiously even by those who, 

 like myself, are inclined to attribute to them very consider- 

 able importance as historical documents ; and yet, in spite 

 of their vague and unsatisfactory results, these investiga- 

 tions are wonderfully fascinating when once they are 

 entered upon. 



