Old English Chronicles Part 47

3. Britain is situated between the north and west,[358] opposite to, though at some distance from, Germany, Gaul, and Spain, the most considerable parts of Europe, and is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean.

4. On the south of Britain lies Belgic Gaul, from which coast pa.s.sengers usually sail to the Rhutupian port.[359] This place is distant from Gessoriac.u.m,[360] a town of the Morini, the port most frequented by the Britons, fifty miles, or according to others, four hundred and fifty stadia. From thence may be seen the country of the Britons whom Virgil in his Eclogues describes as separated from the whole world,--

"--penitus toto divisos...o...b.. Britannos."

5. By Agrippa, an ancient geographer, its breadth is estimated at three hundred miles; but with more truth by Bede at two hundred, exclusive of the promontories.[361] If their sinuosities be taken into the computation, its circuit will be three thousand six hundred miles.

Marcian, a Greek author, agrees with me in stating it at MDI[OO]LXXV.[362]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 353: The early Greeks and Romans doubted whether Britain was an island, or part of the continent. This uncertainty gave rise to a controversy which was not settled till the time of the propraetor Julius Agricola.--_Tac. Vit. Agric. c._ 38. _Dio. Ca.s.s. Hist. Rom. lib._ 39.]

[Footnote 354: Dunnet Head.]

[Footnote 355: Richard gives too great an extent to our island, which, according to the most accurate observations, stretches only from lat.

49 48', the most southern point, to Dunnet Head, which is in lat. 58 40' or scarcely 540 geographical miles.]

[Footnote 356: Various explanations have been given of the names of Albion and Britain, applied to our island. Some derive Albion from the white rocks which bound the coast; some from Albion, a son of Neptune, who is represented as its first discoverer and cultivator; others have likewise derived the name Britain from the Phoenician or Hebrew _Baratanac_, signifying the land of tin. It was also called by the natives, _Hyperborea_, _Atlantica_, _Ca.s.siteris_, _Romana_, and _Thule_.

According to the British Triads, "the three names given to the isle of Britain, from the beginning, were: before it was inhabited, the name of _Clas Merddyn_ (or the green spot defended by water); after it was inhabited, _Y Vel Ynys_ (the honey island); and, after it was brought under one government by Prydain, son of Aedd, it was called _Ynys Prydain_ (or the isle of Britain)."

In some old writings it is also termed, _Yr Ynys Wen_, (or the white island.)]

[Footnote 357: This part is taken from Pliny, who enumerates the British isles in the following order:--Orcades, 40; Acmodae, 7; Haebudes, 30.

Between Britain and Ireland, Mona, Menapia, Ricnea, Vectis, Silimnus, Andros; beneath, Siambis and Axuntos: on the opposite side, towards the German Sea, the Glessariae, called Electrides by the later Greek writers, from the amber found there: and last of all, Thule.

He refers to others mentioned by different authors, viz., Mictis, Scandia, Dumnia, Bergos, and Nerigos.]

[Footnote 358: That is, from Rome. Richard, in copying the Roman writers, adopted their expressions in regard to the relative positions of places.]

[Footnote 359: Richborough, Kent.]

[Footnote 360: Boulogne.]

[Footnote 361: Richard errs in supposing the estimation of Bede more accurate than that of Agrippa.]

[Footnote 362: The numerals are here so incorrect that it is difficult to discover what number was meant by Richard. Marcian observes that the circuit of our island is not more than 28,604 stadia, or 3575 miles, nor less than 20,526, or 2576 miles. Hence Bertram is led to prefer the greater number.]

CHAP. II.

1. Albion, called by Chrysostom Great Britain, is, according to Caesar, of a triangular shape, resembling Sicily. One of the sides lies opposite to Celtic Gaul. One angle of this side, which is the Cantian promontory,[363] is situated to the east; the other, the Ocrinian promontory,[364] in the country of the d.a.m.nonii, faces the south and the province of Tarraconensis in Spain. This side is about five hundred miles in length.

2. Another side stretches towards Ireland and the west, the length of which, according to the opinion of the ancients, is seven hundred miles.

3. The third side is situated to the north, and is opposite to no land except a few islands;[365] but the angle of this side chiefly trends towards Germania Magna.[366] The length from the Novantian Chersonesus,[367] through the country of the Taixali, to the Cantian promontory,[368] is estimated at eight hundred miles. Thus all erroneously compute the circuit of the island to be two thousand miles; for from the Cantian promontory to Ocrinum,[369] the distance is four hundred miles; from thence to Novantum, a thousand; and from thence to the Cantian promontory, two thousand two hundred. The circ.u.mference of the whole island is therefore three thousand six hundred miles.[370]

4. Livy and Fabius Rusticus compare the form of Britain to an oblong s.h.i.+eld or battle-axe; and as, according to Tacitus, it bears that figure on the side of Caledonia, the comparison was extended to the whole island, though the bold promontories at its further extremity give it the shape of a wedge. But Caesar and Pomponius Mela a.s.sert that its form is triangular.

5. If credit may be given to the celebrated geographer Ptolemy and his contemporary writers, the island resembles an inverted Z,[371] but according to the maps the comparison is not exact. The triangular shape, however, seems to belong to England alone.[372]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 363: North Foreland.]

[Footnote 364: Lizard Point.]

[Footnote 365: The Orkney and Shetland isles.]

[Footnote 366: Under this name the ancients comprised not only Germany proper but Denmark, Norway, &c.]

[Footnote 367: Rens of Galloway.]

[Footnote 368: North Foreland.]

[Footnote 369: Lizard Point.]

[Footnote 370: Bertram has endeavoured to reconcile the various and discordant calculations given by different ancient authors of the circuit of our island. On such vague principles as these estimations are made, it would be almost impossible, even now, for two persons to produce the same result.]

[Footnote 371: Ptolemy's expression is obscure; but he was evidently led to this supposition by the notion that Caledonia or Scotland trended to the east, as appears from his lat.i.tudes and longitudes. This form, therefore, he not unaptly compares to the inverted Z. It would be a trespa.s.s on the patience of the reader to attempt to reconcile what is irreconcilable.]

[Footnote 372: These words are chiefly taken from Tacitus. The obscurity of the expression and the absurdity of the comparison, will sufficiently show the ignorance of those ancients whose works have reached the present time, in regard to our island.--_Tacit. Vit. Agricolae, sec.

10._]

CHAP. III.

1. The original inhabitants of Britain, whether indigenous or foreign, are, like those of most other countries, unknown. The Jews alone, and by their means the contiguous nations, have the happiness of tracing their descent since the creation of the world from undoubted doc.u.ments.

2. From the difference of personal appearance different conjectures have been drawn. The red hair and large limbs of the Caledonians proclaim their German origin; the painted faces and curled locks of the Silures, and their situation opposite to Spain, corroborate the a.s.sertion of Tacitus, that the ancient Iberians pa.s.sed over and occupied this country and Ireland. Those who live nearest the Gauls resemble them, either from the strength of the original stock, or from the effects which the same positions of the heavens produce on the human body.

3. If I were inclined to indulge a conjecture, I might here mention that the Veneti[373] in their commercial expeditions first introduced inhabitants and religion into this country. Writers are not wanting, who a.s.sert that Hercules came hither and established a sovereignty. But it is needless to dwell on such remote antiquities and idle tales.[374]

4. On the whole, however, it is probable that the Gauls occupied the contiguous regions. According to Tacitus, their sacred rites and superst.i.tions may be traced; nor is the language very different; and lastly, the tradition of the druids, with the names of the states which still retain the same appellations as the people sprung from the cities of Gaul, who came hither and began to cultivate the country.[375]

5. According to Caesar, the country was extremely populous, and contained numerous buildings, not dissimilar to those of the Gauls. It was rich in cattle.

6. The inhabitants of the southern part were the most civilized, and in their customs differed little from the Gauls. Those of the more distant parts did not raise corn; but lived on fruits and flesh. They were ignorant of the use of wool and garments, although in severe weather they covered themselves with the skins of sheep or deer. They were accustomed to bathe in the rivers.

7. All the Britons formerly stained their bodies of a blue colour, which according to Caesar gave them a more terrible appearance in battle. They wore their hair long, and shaved all parts of the body except the head and the upper lip.

8. Ten or twelve Britons had their wives in common; and this custom particularly prevailed among brethren, and between fathers and sons; but the children were considered as belonging to him who had first taken the virgin to wife. The mothers suckled their own children, and did not employ maids and nurses.