N/AWES, sx-
TEHT.j&C^'..
Hiftorical’
epochs. (j
colony '* in Pembrokelhire, and one or two others o f the in oft fouthern
counties, which afterwards became remarkable for induftry; a Angular
fact in modern hiftory, though not unufual in ancient times, and for
that period a remarkable ftretch of political wifdom. The fubfequent
cpnqueft of Wales by Edward I," and its gradual aff;milation and affo-
ciation with England are fufficiently known. jw|
. Geography has been ftyled one of the eyes o f hiftory; a fubfervience
to which lludy is undoubtedly one o f its grand objedts ; but it would, at
the fame time, be foreign to its nature to render it a vehicle of hiftory.
The proper and peculiar fubjedts of geographical* feience are fo ample,
and often attended with fuch_ difficult refearch; that it becomes equally
ra£h and unneceffary to w ander o u t o f its appropriated domain. In this
work therefore it is only^p.ropofed briefly to mention ^h^g^if^hlftorihal
epochs of nations’; and.thofe!eventswhich'havealteredt^rthoundaries
and geographical relations.
The-popolatrtimJof England b y ^h e rhay. beregarilecb as^he' fitft
hiftorical epoch.
T h e fecond is formed by Jthe Belgic colonies; who, perhaps Ipoffit
three'centuries before theGhriftian sera, < -feizdfl the f a ^ n g r ii and eameria
xhores, and advancing by degrees reftridted the Celts to the weft. The
Belgic_ colonization of England is Important in many points o f view,
as eftablilhing the primitive germ of the"prefent Englilh nation, and as
introducing agriculture, which-was not pradtifed by the hunting and
paftoral tribes of the Celts 1 : nor is it improbable that fome o f the fertile
diftricts .of England have known cultivation for the fpace of two thou-
fand years. •
3. Under Julius Gsefar the Romans can only be faid to have explored
this ifland ; and near, a.Century .elapfea" befefe the Teal conqueft was
■ commenced by Claudius; between whole reign and that of Domitian, the
Roman Eagle had been difplayed as far as the Grampian mountains.
The fertility of the foil, and the Roman arts of civilization, foftened
the fpirit even- of the Belgic Britons, and inured them to s docile fervi-
tude. Caraulius and other chiefs feized the Britilh purple, and availed
1 W ill. Halmfb. lib. v . 13 Ccsfa.r, jib. v. c. 1 0 *
thetnfelves
themfelves'of the ftroug ,maritime barrier to bid dcfianceTO the Caefars; ^ tSTO
i u b ‘ph©£F?3t ‘cf®ps,'.an'dfrtbeir^maring^s,,{had the\napie oft,Romans; and
thefe were merely fchifms of a vaft empire; not affertiens of native ;in*-
dependence, The Britons on the^cpntrary were afterwards forced to
•impiri'rhf 'thd’alfift&icd- o ffth ^R om an s againftHh(% Tew ^but ferocious
tfivadetSfylt'
' Ig ik fte r-y ' duration offfqbr o,eh&tiesi] th e® 0 p ^ !n ldppii|la®pijiyielded
loiltsikfGfTh^&Sn^addlA^^inariliisic.q^g&perdUjs' yrith the Belg'm.
Tlilirev.dlh,tion has 'Jp|lfeb’®irhpieffeid;'tfie 'fia g i^ chafadkf ,|dg&guage,
l '^ s ^ manners; |ih;d cTtftpms itb’ebpqQple;* ‘|e
^®«Att'drirdpe|itftdMa'ya^^|^neh,pr^ce,ding jEenfuries, the' Danes i n '
t l ^ % e i r V ? 6 ^ ® l ^ W f e ^ t » a f p e ^ > ^ |^ ^ ^ ^ l ^ d ^ ’ati^^ayg thre'e
Kings’It® tl'c^doCiiitrw; Canute', j ^ T b l ^ a 4d i^ a fd ic a ^ ate .;; bpt- thq.dbrai-
n i rdW r e fu rn e d - 1 1'
fhfe bn*»the''dhathlpf|Ej!.wardThcrConftftori,jb3Adi5t is?’cabled the con- |
tbok-'pl&ce -ini sunder'William the'Norman. As
it'e Mbr mans|4gs© wegians, haft^een^&ffeljld^ .the north' offErancg,
'for:a rib ti| time, thefiirt^Vdtreed' the ik.ehchj langu^gei?amsng ppopje of
tddtgal,'procedhajer.; a ftfrfvfllje b^dg&b?^ eyen hitherto'
abfelulifteraftjc£Ml,\ thboghwhe ’Mi'qtWe^jinuJI:applauded, as;|_he pitor*
of^ffiHep^dJgehera^pns areilftonntimately
^|Wetle'd-with thS immutability Q ftth e ln a ri0 n a )li.|^ fp f|^ b 6 .d ^
Si*jjS The^gr^l^chafIdriTranteft b y ’ B h iird t Runfi^med’e is" defervedly
ChEe'dre1! 1 a^n^iferaDTe'Vq^ch ( Hjil'edOmi ■■ //
rc ^ fd ^ ^ s* tH e h ^ ^ xV e i^ ?k a llfe |^ |i® ^ 1 Thoh^bpeftrUdirve. ''of litera- |
ftfm in the, d$SpM- o f CofoiAnsd®’
^%r^T,h e,S^drtiiatimk^bypdeli vering?tljd nation #o*th'the heavy yoke
cff1 foperftitib‘ft,flh)creafedulie ’^tionaE'||iprgie^; hntl imparted^ freeftrifn
o fttftd 4 ^h tq \rid ’’.2 fj)iri||^^h'dfep^hdbnCeJ to theftridividiial charaUeE^l
T h t eiilll dvafs u n , d ^ ^ IA s f.h a d the%fefabe^ft 9$' fmpedinfthe
courfe' of lifeiklu.le^ah'd't^?4,aVtS'*;' b u tI th e .y d o l’ent' Chang^s'hnd^cdnfe-,
fedUenCes, and l^k^&ceftes committed on' both fides, fijperinduced
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