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memory, and almost out of belief.* But this oblivion has not 

 been the fate of the nation itself. Even a lost child, that can 

 speak its own name, may be restored to its household and 

 kindred: and the name of " Britain" is still known to all the 

 world, and may claim its place in the history of the only land 

 which answers to it. This earlier part of its family history is, 

 however, obscure and difficult its nomenclature crepitous and 

 unclassical and the grapes may be somewhat sour even to the 

 fabricators of critical crotchets ; for whom it may be a conve- 

 nience to change the scene of the first act, from these hazy and 

 mysterious traces of devasted greatness, by taking a stroll 

 along with Tacitus through the transmarine " Forests of the 

 North." But any such attempt to exclude so much as may be 

 recovered of their history from its due place in that of our island, 

 is not only an injustice to these, our joint " ancestors," but a 

 great injury to ourselves, who have no reason to be ashamed of 

 our intimate relation to them. 



But were even the villages and townships, after all, imported 

 from Germany ? It is admitted that the institution of royalty was 

 not brought over with the invaders, but that " war begat the king" 

 after they arrived without him and credit seems to be claimed, 

 for " our ancestors" of the sinister half of our pedigree, for the 



* Of the fact, that the greater examples of what are now only known as 

 " camps," were identical in purpose and origin with those that have sur- 

 vived as cities, we have an actual comparative exemplification within easy 

 reach of us. The name of " Maiden Castle," Dorset, is common to it and 

 other similar places, and, however ancient, cannot be its original proper 

 name, but a later descriptive one. Old Sarum, with a Christian cathedral 

 and seven or eight parish churches, is historically known to have come to 

 the same complection. But the identity of purpose that they are in r'act 

 skeletons of two individuals of one species is self evident to any one who 

 walks around the stupendous ramparts of both. Exeter, more happy, still 

 lives as one of our brightest cities. Its British earth ramparts, surmounted 

 by Saxon and Norman stone walls, had similar precipitous outer ditches ; 

 filled up for modern convenience within recorded time. Its name also is its 

 British proper name, compounded with its Roman suffix, and both fused 

 into the'Saxon form, as we now speak it. The site shews the same principle 

 of selection as the others ; and remains of the same method of defence are 

 still visible. What has kept it alive to our time is the accidental possession, 

 in addition to the requirements of ics founders, of those of mediaeval and 

 modern life : a navigable tidal estuary, a metropolitical position, and a 

 salubrious climate. 



Here, at anyrate, are three great cities, of co-ordinate and probably con- 

 temporaneous origin : But see their various subsequent fortunes, 



