FAUNA, FLOEA, AND INHABITANTS. 397 



separated tlie country of tlie Wallons from tliat in whicli most of the Germanic 

 colonists settled. In Brabant there still exist remnants of this ancient forest, and 

 whilst the villages to the east of it are inhabited by Wallons, those to the west are 

 Flemish. Even where Germanic colonists established themselves in the midst of 

 the Wallons, they retained their language for ages, and mediseval documents 

 broadly distinguish between the French- speaking inhabitants of the Pagns Mem- 

 pisciis and the Flemings who lived amongst them. 



Many of the German settlers who arrived after the Roman epoch were Franks, 

 as is proved by the names of villages no less than by historical documents. 

 But although the Flemings are probably for the most part the descendants of 

 these Franks, the name they bear appears originally to have been applied 

 to the Saxons who settled on the coast, which for a long time Avas known as 

 Littus Saxonicum. These Saxons were no doubt kinsmen of those who crossed 

 over to England, They probably came by sea along the coast of Friesland and 

 Holland. The influence of the Frisians, who had established themselves in 

 Zealand, extended at that time far along the coast of Belgium, and an old historian 

 even refers to Ostend as a Frisian port. The original Saxon settlers were 

 subsequently joined by others, forcibly introduced by Charlemagne. The presence 

 of these Saxons in Flanders explains the fact that the Flemish colonists who emi- 

 grated to Transylvania in the twelfth century became knov\n as Sachsen. Most of 

 these colonists came from the coast, which they fled in consequence of an irruption 

 of the sea. If Flemings have frequently -emigrated, they have done so in con- 

 sequence of hard necessity, and not from a spirit of adventure, for the Fleming 

 is much attached to the soil of his birth : — Oost, icest, H huis best* 



Pure Flemings present a very distinct type. They have light-coloured eyes, 

 fair or chestnut-coloured hair, and fresh complexions. Their blood readily rises to 

 the surface of the skin; their features, especially amongst the women, are wanting 

 in sharp contours ; they age soon, and grow fat. On old portraits of Flemings and 

 North Germans, which should be studied if we would compare national types, may 

 often be observed a fine crease which separates the chin from the cheek, and imparts 

 an air of wisdom and circumspection to the physiognomy. The popular notion of 

 the Flemings being a tall and burly race is an erroneovis one, for the inhabitants of 

 Flanders are of smaller stature than those of any other province of Belgium. The 

 men of the brown stock no doubt depress the average stature, for the fair 

 Flemings of Germanic type are the tallest amongst the inhabitants of the lowland, 

 and tall men are numerous along the coast, where the Saxon element prepon- 

 derates. 



The Flemish language, formerly known as Diefsch {Thiols of the Wallons), is 

 a Low German dialect, and according to Miillenhoff it has retained the primitive 

 character of the Frankish. The purest Flemish is spoken in the Campine, whose 

 inhabitants exhibit most attachment to ancient customs and superstitions. 



Tales in rhyme and songs in Flemish were first put into writing in the twelfth 

 century. During the wars of independence Flemish literature flourished, but 



* East or west, at home is best. 



