[28]. The document itself may be consulted in Graevius, vol. vii. The “littus Saxonicum per Britannias” extended at least from the Portus Adurni to Branodunum, that is, from the neighbourhood of Portsmouth to Branchester on the Wash. In both these places there were civil or military officers under the orders of the Comes littoris Saxonici.
[29]. Professor Leo, of Halle, has called attention to a remarkable resemblance between the names of certain places in Kent, and settlements of the Alamanni upon the Neckar. A few of these, it must be admitted, are striking, but the majority are only such as might be expected to arise from similarities of surface and natural features in any two countries settled by cognate populations, having nearly the same language, religious rites and civil institutions. Even if the fact be admitted in the fullest extent, it is still unnecessary to adopt Dr. Leo’s hypothesis, that the coincidence is due to a double migration from the shores of the Elbe. Rectitud. sing. person. pp. 100-104. It has been already stated that Constantius was accompanied to Britain by an Alamannic king; and I cannot doubt that under Valentinian, a force of Alamanni served in this country. Ammianus says: “Valentinianus ... in Macriani locum, Bucinobantibus, quae contra Moguntiacum gens est Alamanna, regem Fraomarium ordinavit: quem paullo postea, quoniam recens excursus eundem penitus vastaverat pagum, in Britannos translatum potestate tribuni, Alamannorum praefecerat numero, multitudine, viribusque ea tempestate florenti.” Hist. xxix. c. 4. The context renders it impossible that this “numerus Alamannorum” should have been anything but genuine Germans.
[30]. Widukind in Leibnitz, Rer. Brunsw. i. 73, 74; Repgow, Sachsensp. iii. 44, § 2. It is amusing enough to see how the number of ships increases as people began to feel the absurdity of bringing over conquering armies in such very small flotillas.
[31]. Galf. Monum. H. Brit., vi. 11. Thong castle probably gave a turn to the story here which the Oldsaxon legend had not. The classical tale of Dido and Byrsa is well known to every schoolboy. Ragnor Lodbrog adopted the same artifice, Rag. Lodb. Saga, cap. 19, 20. Nay the Hindoos declare that we obtained possession of Calcutta by similar means.
[32]. Widuk. in loc. citat., also Grimm’s Deutsche Sagen, No. 547, 369, and Deutsche Rechtsalt. p. 90, where several valuable examples are cited: it is remarkable how many of these are Thuringian.
[33]. Vit. Offae Primi, edited by Wats.
[34]. Saxo Gramm. bk. iv. p. 59 seq.
[35]. Woden in the gentile form of a horse, Hengest, equus admissarius, the brother of Hors, and father of a line in which names of horses form a distinguishing part of the royal appellatives. It is hardly necessary to remind the classical reader of Poseidon in his favourite shape, the shape in which he contended with Athene and mingled with Ceres. In these remarks on Geoffry and his sources, I do not mean to deny the obligation under which the reader of romance has been laid by him; only to reject everything like historical authority. It is from the countrymen of Geoffry that we have also gained the marvellous superstructure of imagination which has supplied the tales of that time, “when Charlemagne with all his peerage fell by Fontarabia,” and which is recognised by history in the very short entry, “In quo proelio Eggihardus regiae mensae praepositus, Anselmus comes palatii, et Hruodlandus Brittanici limitis praefectus, cum aliis compluribus interficiuntur.” Einhardi Vita Karoli, § 9. Pertz, ii. 448. Let us be grateful for the Orlando Innamorato and Furioso, but not make history of them.
[36]. Many beyond a doubt found a refuge in Brittany among their brethren and co-religionists who had long been settled there. Conf. Ermold. Nigel. bk. iii. v. 11. in Pertz, ii. 490. The Cumbrians and Welsh had probably been as little subdued by the Romans as they were by the Saxons.
[37]. Gildas does not spare the native princes: see Epist. querul. passim; and when every excuse has been made for the exaggerations of an honest zeal, we must believe the condition of the people to have been bad in the extreme.