_Origin of the present Race of English._--In Southey's _Letters of
Espriella_ (Letter xxiv., p. 274., 3rd edit.), there is a remark, that the
dark hair of the English people, as compared with the Northern Germans,
seems to indicate a considerable admixture of southern blood. Now, in all
modern ethnological works, this fact of present complexion seems to be
entirely overlooked. But it is a fact, and deserves attention. Either it is
the effect of climate, in which case the moral as well as the physical man
must have altered from the original stock, or it arises from there being
more "ungerman" blood flowing in English veins than is acknowledged. May I
hazard a few conjectures?
1. Are we not apt to underrate the number of Romanised Celts remaining in
England after the Saxon Conquest? The victors would surely enslave a vast
multitude, and marry many Celtic women; while those who fled at the first
danger would gradually return to their old haunts. Under such
circumstances, that the language should have been changed is no wonder.
2. Long before the Norman Conquest there was a great intercourse between
England and France, and many settlers from the latter country came over
here. This, by the way, may account for that gradual change of the
Anglo-Saxon language mentioned as observable prior to the Conquest.
3. The army of the Conqueror was recruited from all parts of France, and
was not simply Norman. When the men who composed it came into possession of
this country, they clearly must have sent home for their wives and
families; and many who took no part in the invasion no doubt came to share
the spoils. Taking this into account, we shall find the Norman part of the
population to have borne no small proportion to the _then_ inhabitants of
England. It is important to bear in mind the probable increase of
population since 1066 A.D.