508 THE HORSE. 



mixed class of military adventurers from the north of Eu- 

 rope, of Scandinavian lineage. Scotland during this period 

 had continued essentially Celtic, with the exception of the 

 kingdom of the Lothians, extending from the Forth to the 

 Tweed, which had been early colonized by Saxons ; and, 

 with the exception of a portion of the extreme north, colo- 

 nized by Scandinavians. The Celtic inhabitants of North 

 Britain were known to the Romans as Caledonii, and some- 

 times as Picti, although the latter term is by many antiqua- 

 ries supposed to indicate a distinct race of men. x In the 

 third century, in the reign of Dioclesian, we first hear of 

 another people, certainly Celtic, who were to give their 

 name to the whole of North Britain. These were the Sceite 

 or Scots, the Scoti and Scoticce gentes of the Roman writers, 

 who, landing from the north-east of Ireland on the nearest 

 coasts, gradually extended their power. In the beginning 

 of the sixth century, they had occupied the Peninsula of 

 Caentir or Cantire, and they gradually advanced northward 

 and eastward until about the year 843, when they had ac- 

 quired the ascendency over nearly all the native tribes, giv- 

 ing that name to the whole of North Britain, which it will 

 for ever retain. 



In the year of our Lord 1066, that is, 605 years after the 

 first settlement of Saxons in England, the dominion of the 

 Anglo-Saxon princes was overthrown by an army of Normans. 

 But by this time a new' race of men had been formed, of mixed 

 lineage, but now possessed of a common language, and mould- 

 ed to a common standard of national character. Scotland 

 was never subjected to the Normans ; but in thirty-one years 

 after the Norman Conquest, a race of Scoto- Saxon princes 

 succeeded to the Scottish crown, and from that time the 

 Saxon speech and customs rapidly extended over all the 

 Lowlands of Scotland. 



Coincidently in time with the Saxons in England, the rem- 

 nants of the Britons existed in Wales, and preserved a brave 

 independence in the mountains and fastnesses of that coun- 



