108 CRITIQUES AND ADDRESSES. [vm. 



varii : atque ex eo arguraenta : nam rutilse Caledoniatn habitintium 

 comae, magni artus Germanicam originem asseverant. Silurum colorati 

 vultus et torti plerumque crines, et posita contra Hispaniam, Iberos 

 veteres trajecisse, easque sedes occupasse, fidem faciunt. Proximi 

 Gallis et similes sunt ; seu durante originis vi, seu procurrentibus in 

 diversa terris, positio cceli corporibus habitum dedit. In universum 

 tamen sestimanti, Gallos vicinum solum occupasse, credibile est ; eorum 

 sacra deprehendas, superstitionum persuasione ; sermo baud multum 

 diversus." l 



This passage, it will be observed, contains statements 

 as to facts, and certain conclusions deduced from these 

 facts. The matters of fact asserted are : firstly, that the 

 inhabitants of Britain exhibit much diversity in then- 

 physical characters ; secondly, that the Caledonians are 

 red-haired and large-limbed, like the Germans ; thirdly, 

 that the Silures have curly hair and dark complexions, 

 like the people of Spain ; fourthly, that the British 

 people nearest Gaul resemble the " Galli." 



Tacitus, therefore, states positively what the Caledo- 

 nians and Silures were like ; but the interpretation of 

 what he says about the other Britons must depend upon 

 what we learn from other sources as to the characters of 

 these " Galli/' Here the testimony of "divus Julius" 

 comes in with great force and appropriateness. Csesar 

 writes : 



" Britannia? pars interior ab iis incolitur, quos natos in insula ipsi 

 inemoria proditum dicunt : marituma pars ab iis, qui predae ac belli 

 inferendi causa ex Belgio transierant; qui omnes fere iis nominibus 

 civitatum appellantur quibus orti ex civitatibus eo pervenerunt, et 

 bello inlato ibi permanserunt atque agros colere ereperunt." 2 



From these passages it is obvious that in the opinion 

 of Csesar and Tacitus, the southern Britons resembled 

 the northern Gauls, and especially the Belgse ; and the 

 evidence of Strabo is decisive as to the characters in 

 which the two people resembled one another : " The men 



1 Taciti Agricola, c. 11. 2 De Bello Gallico, v. 12. 



