The Description of Wales
by Geraldus Cambrensis
Book I
Chapter XV
Their boldness and confidence in
speaking
Nature hath given not only to the highest, but also to
the inferior, classes of the people of this nation, a
boldness and confidence in speaking and answering, even in
the presence of their princes and chieftains. The Romans and
Franks had the same faculty; but neither the English, nor
the Saxons and Germans, from whom they are descended, had
it. It is in vain urged, that this defect may arise from the
state of servitude which the English endured; for the Saxons
and Germans, who enjoy their liberty, have the same failing,
and derive this natural coldness of disposition from the
frozen region they inhabit; the English also, although
placed in a distant climate, still retain the exterior
fairness of complexion and inward coldness of disposition,
as inseparable from their original and natural character.
The Britons, on the contrary, transplanted from the hot and
parched regions of Dardania into these more temperate
districts, as
"Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare
currunt,"
still retain their brown complexion and that natural
warmth of temper from which their confidence is derived. For
three nations, remnants of the Greeks after the destruction
of Troy, fled from Asia into different parts of Europe, the
Romans under AEneas, the Franks under Antenor, and the
Britons under Brutus; and from thence arose that courage,
that nobleness of mind, that ancient dignity, that acuteness
of understanding, and confidence of speech, for which these
three nations are so highly distinguished. But the Britons,
from having been detained longer in Greece than the other
two nations, after the destruction of their country, and
having migrated at a later period into the western parts of
Europe, retained in a greater degree the primitive words and
phrases of their native language. You will find amongst them
the names Oenus, Resus, AEneas, Hector, Achilles,
Heliodorus, Theodorus, Ajax, Evander, Uliex, Anianus, Elisa,
Guendolena, and many others, bearing marks of their
antiquity. It is also to be observed, that almost all words
in the British language correspond either with the Greek or
Latin, as [Greek text which cannot be reproduced],
water, is called in British, dwr; [Greek text],
salt, in British, halen; [Greek text], eno, a name;
[Greek text], pump, five; [Greek text], deg,
ten. The Latins also use the words fraenum, tripos, gladius,
lorica; the Britons, froyn (ffrwyn), trepet (tribedd),
cleddyf, and lluric (llurig); unicus is made unic (unig);
canis, can (cwn); and belua, beleu.
The Description of Wales
Book I
by Geraldus Cambrensis
Chapter XIV
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