By J. Piclon, Esq., F.S.A. 



19 



Parfney is said to be from pera-tun-ey , pear town by the water. It 

 is scarcely worth while to waste time in examining* absurdities of 

 this kind. Where we cannot discover a clear and definite meaning 

 within our reach, the best mode of solving the enigma is to confess 

 our ignorance and seek for means of better information. 



There cannot be much doubt that a large number of the prefixes 

 in English place-names are of Celtic origin, most probably of the 

 Cymric variety; but the language from which they are derived has 

 greatly changed in the course of ages, and is only very imperfectly 

 represented by the modern Welsh. It is very unlikely and would 

 be contrary to all history to suppose that when the Saxons conquered 

 England by degrees and effected the settlement of the country they 

 exterminated all the inhabitants. Such a circumstance has hardly 

 happened in the history of the world. There Was no break of con-* 

 tinuity. The conquerors in taking possession would naturally adopt 

 the native appellations, modifying them to suit their own purposes. 

 This is precisely what the Ho mans had done before them. Venta 

 Belgarum and Sorbidunum are simply Cymric names with Latin 

 suffixes. Nay, we may go further back than this- What took 

 place both at the Roman and Saxon conquests would equally occur 

 at the previous Celtic invasion. We are not to suppose that those 

 we call the ancient Britons were the aboriginal inhabitants of this 

 island. The Belgae and Atrebates, who occupied the present Wiltshire 

 and Hampshire, were immigrants of no long standing. Both Caesar 

 and Tacitus bear testimony to this. Caesar says, u Britanniae pars 

 interior ab iis incolitur quos natos in insula memoria proditum est. 

 Maritima pars ab iis, qui prsedae ac belli inferendi causa, ex Belgis 

 transierant." (De Bell. (Jail., Lib. v.) 1 



Tacitus states " Britanniam qui mortales initio coluerunt indigence 

 an advecti, parum compertum; in universum tamen estimanti, Gallos 

 vicinum solum occupasse, credibile est." (Vit Agricol.) ? 



1 The interior of Britain is inhabited by native races as it is handed down by 

 tradition ; the maritime parts by those who have passed over from Belgium for 

 the sake of plunder or war. 



2 Whether the people who first inhabited Britain were indigenous or immigrants, 

 it is hard to ascertain, but it is generally believed that the Gauls occupied \ho 

 nearest coasts. 



C 2 



