5* 



character ; and this difference it is, when very great, which causes 

 distinctions of race ; and once the distinction of race becomes re- 

 cognized, it is more or less permanent ; it tends to perpetuate itself. 

 And if there were no fusion or intercourse between peoples thus 

 distinguished, their divergence from each other both in language 

 and character would, in all probability, go on increasing. But if 

 such distinct races were in any way, by the fortune of war or con- 

 quest, say, to become blended, then the languages of the weaker 

 or of the less numerous would run danger of being altogether sup- 

 planted by that of the stronger or of the greater number. And 

 if no record or memory of such fusion of races were preserved, it 

 would be very difficult to determine, from the spoken language, at 

 least, whether this had occurred or not. For instance, ancient 

 France or Gaul was inhabited by a Celtic speaking people. The 

 Roman conquest of the country brought with it Roman colonists 

 and the Roman language, which absorbed and supplanted the 

 existing Celtic speech and civilization. Again, this country of 

 Gaul when it had become a Romance talking nation, was invaded 

 and conquered by a Gothic tribe, using quite a distinct speech. 

 Yet that Gothic tribe, although it had been superior in arms, was 

 inferior in numbers to the Romance talking inhabitants, and the 

 language of the Gothic invaders had finally to yield to that of the 

 conquered. And so Ireland was, at least a few centuries ago, in- 

 habited by a Celtic talking people ; but being invaded and con- 

 quered by a branch of the Gothic family, it has gradually seen its 

 ancient speech die away before that of the conqueror. So that all 

 the different races in this island are not now distinguished by a 

 difference in speech. 



The Celt, the Dane, the Saxon, the Norman, and settlers from 

 France and other parts of Europe, are now all indistinguishable 

 from each other in this land by their speech. The original speech 

 of all of them has been supplanted, except in a few outlying dis- 

 tricts where Irish is still spoken, bv the one English tongue. And so 

 it would appear that the existing language can give us no indication 

 here of the distinct races which inhabit this island ; and the 

 science of Philology would seem useless when applied to solve the 



