the King whether he was not cold. The man replied by asking the King, whether his face was cold. No, said the King. Neither am I cold, said the man, for I am all face. The garment chiefly worn was the sack, which was the skin of a beast, in a square form, like a mantle, covering only the shoulders and breast. It was called by the Persians, guanac, whence our word gown In a later stage of improvement, they wore bracks, or breeches, and hose, a kind of trowsers.

23. Habitations. Savage nations, having little occupation except war and hunting, spend much of their time in eating and sleep; reposing on the earth in summer, and on skins in winter. The inhabitants of Europe had at first no fixed habitations: they roved in quest of pasture for their cattle, or for the sake of plundering their neighbors. They sometimes erected huts like the wigwams of American Indians. Some tribes lived wholly in wagons, covered with skins, in which whole families were conveyed from place to place. In winter, many of them lived in large caves in the earth. Such was the condition of the northern nations of Europe, when the Romans invaded Gaul, now France, half a century before the christian era.

24. Assemblies and festivals. Among the warlike nations of Europe, no person could appear in public without his arms, consisting of a sword, lance and buckler. These they wore also in their festivals and in visits to private families. When they sat at table, each man had behind him a servant who held his lance and his buckler. When they rose from table, each man resumed his arms, and wore them, whether engaged in dancing, play or other exercise. At death their arms were burnt or laid in their graves.

25. Dressing of the hair. Many of the inhabitants of Europe had light, red or sandy hair, and the hair of the head was valued as a great ornament. Hence both sexes took great pains to aid its growth, and to deepen its color to a fiery red. For this purpose,

they used a kind of pomatum or soap, composed of fat, ashes and lime. In the time of Augustus, the Roman ladies introduced the fashion of tinging the hair red, and to such excess was it carried, that it came under tho censure of some of the christian fathers.

26. The beard. The beard was treated with great respect. The usual practice was to shave the chin and the cheeks, but they left large mustaches or whiskers. And it was customary to swear by the beard. In this manner Clovis, King of France, and Alaric, King of the Goths, ratified a treaty of peace; Alaric touching the beard of Clovis, the two princes swore eternal friendship.

27. Ornaments. It was customary for princes and chief men to wear necklaces and bracelets. Historians mention an army of Gauls arrayed in order of battle, whose front rank was composed of men adorned with collars and bracelets.

28. Labor and amusements. In the early ages, men were devoted to war and the chase, and warriors disdained the drudgery of labor. This was left to old men, women and children. But these rude nations were greatly attached to music and poetry. Hence they had an order of men called bards, who composed hymns in honor of brave men, and sung them at festivals. Hence their first laws, customs and religious rites were rehearsed or recorded in verse; and songs were their only histories.

29. Recitations of songs. The recitation of songs or poems was often accompanied with the music of an instrument, and with dancing in various forms. In these dances, the steps of the feet accorded to the measure of the verse, and hence the word foot came to be used for a division of a verse, consisting of a certain number of syllables. Their dances were performed by men in arms, and the practice was to keep the measure of the verse, by striking a sword or halberd against the buckler. This was indeed to beat

time.

30. State of learning. The inhabitants of northern Europe lived for two or three thousand years without the knowledge of letters. Even when letters were introduced into the south of. Gaul, now France, by the Greeks, who first settled Marseilles, the Gauls and Germans neglected and even despised the use of them. The Druids or priests pretended to have all the learning of those rude ages, but they would not commit their knowledge to writing. This prejudice against learning letters continued down to the time of Charlemagne, in the ninth century, and even later; for that emperor could not write his own name; and for ages after that period, many of the nobility could not write their names. Instead of their proper signature to written instruments, they made a mark and set their seals.

31. Passion for war. The love of war is a remarkable trait in the character of our ancestors. When not engaged in a war of nations, the chiefs would sometimes invade their neighboring chiefs, ei. ther to revenge an injury or to seek booty. Hence the deadly feuds which existed at all times, between different tribes, producing quarrels and bloodshed. Such feuds between the English and Scots continued down to the time of Queen Elizabeth.

32. Private combats. This passion for war among ferocious men gave rise to private combats or duels. Cowardice was detested; and when one person injured or offended another, the injured party had recourse to open combat to obtain revenge or redress.. When a person was challenged, he could not decline a combat, without an entire loss of character. Sometimes a man would challenge a friend, even from levity, to contend with him for superiority in a private Hence the savage origin of the present

encounter.

custom of dueling.

33. Hospitality. With all their barbarism and ferocity, our ancestors were distinguished for unbounded hospitality to strangers. Every stranger was not

only invited, but urged to enter their cabins, and partake freely of such refreshments as they afforded. The inhabitants of a village would even contend earnestly to obtain a stranger for a guest.

34. Feasting, and Gaming. Our ancestors were much addicted to feasting, and often spent whole nights in drinking and revelry. Their feasts were attended with songs and dancing; and ended often in fencing or mock-fights which sometimes produced bloodshed. Their fondness for gaming was excessive; for they would stake, not only their property, but their liberty, upon the cast of a die. Such was the origin of customs which, with some refinement or abatement, continue to characterize their descendants to this day.

35. Females. Our ferocious ancestors were not only brave men, but utter enemies to slavery. Their love of freedom was inextinguishable; for they preferred death to slavery. Rather than be taken prisoners, they would put to death their wives and children, their sick and wounded, and then destroy their own lives. In this hatred of slavery, the men did not surpass the women. When advancing to battle, the females would sometimes mingle with the troops, and with cries and tears, urge them to fight bravely; and when the troops gave way, they would rush among the fugitives, and with reproaches, compel them to renew the contest, and win the battle or perish in the attempt.

36. Religion. Our pagan ancestors believed in one Supreme Being or Great Spirit, and in many subordinate deities, who presided over the elements. But they had neither statues, temples nor altars. They worshiped the sun, the moon and the earth; but they performed their worship under trees, on the tops of hills and around circles of stone.

QUESTIONS.

19. What was the state of Ancient Germany? 20. How did the original people of Germany subsist? 21. What was the ancient manner of eating?

22. What was the clothing of the ancient Germans? 23. What were the habitations of savage nations? 24. What were the festivals in ancient Europe? 25. What was the manner of dressing the hair? 26. How was the beard treated?

27. What ornaments were worn?

23. What were the employments of the German na tions?

29. What kind of songs and music were used, and what was the origin of foot in poetry?

30. What learning had the ancient Germans? 31. What was the ruling passion of rude nations? 32. What was the origin of private combats or duels? 33. Were the rude nations of Germany hospitable? 34. What were the feasts and games of the Germans? 35. What was the character of males and females for bravery?

36. What was the religion of our pagan ancestors?

SECTION III.

SAXONS.

37. Of the Saxons and Angles. The ancestors of the English who first arrived in Britain, are generally known by the name of Saxons. But a tribe of them were called Angles, a name formed from eng, or ing, which, in Saxon, signifies a meadow or plain. These were inhabitants of the flat lands or plains along the banks of the Elbe and Weser, and on the borders of the Baltic sea. From these, England, originally called Britain, derives its present name; and hence the word English.