164 



GERMANY. 



no more than Gauls present the features ascribed to them by Roman authors. The 

 type described by Tacitus only survives in Scandinavia. Fair hair and fair 

 complexions still preponderate, but blue eyes are now rare. The type may have 

 become modified through a change in the mode of life brought about by the 

 progress of civilisation ; or dark eyes and dark complexions may have issued 

 victoriously from a " struggle for existence." Curious to relate, the Jews of 

 Germany appear to have undergone an inverse change, for the majority amongst 

 them have chestnut, or even fair hair. 



Language constitutes the great bond of national union. To southern ears the 



Fig. 97. — LixcnsTic Map of Gekmany. 



JS" E of Parte 





10° E.of G. 



\ZM 



VpiterUennan Ixiw German Datiish i^ Hivedish 



] H 



wm 



Hrttlieiuan Frcuck 



JIagi/w Lithuanian It'e/io.a/i 



sonorous and powerful language spoken by Germans sounds rugged and guttural, 

 but in the mouth of the poets it is full of tender grace, and capable of adequately 

 and harmoniously rendering every shade of meaning, and every sentiment. Harsh 

 and vigorous when used in anger, it becomes supple and tender when giving 

 expression to the emotions of the soul. 



The original dialects are fast disappearing, and hardly more than an historical 

 interest attaches to them now. Even the Low Germans, who speak dialects akin 



