p the most singular combination of Gaulish, Phrygian
and Greek civilization.

"Next follows the period of national strife and of conquest. By a
chance worthy of notice, it is always under the sword of the Roman
that the power of the Gaulish nations falls: in proportion as the
Roman dominion extends, the Gaulish dominion, up to that time
firmly established, recoils and declines: one would say that the
conquerors and the conquered from the Allia followed one and other
to all points of the earth to decide the old quarrel of the
Capitol. In Italy the Cisalpines are subjugated, but only after two
centuries of the most determined resistance: when the rest of Asia
accepted the yoke, the Galatians defended still, against Rome, the
independence of the East. Gaul yields, but only from exhaustion,
after a century of partial contests, and nine years of a general
war under Caesar: in fine, the names of Caractac and Galgac render
illustrious the last and fruitless efforts of British liberty. It
is every where the unequal combat of a military spirit, ardent and
heroic, but simple and unskilful, against the same spirit
disciplined and persevering. Few nations show in their annals so
beautiful a page as that last Gaulish war, written nevertheless by
an enemy. Every effort of heroism, every prodigy of valour, which
the love of liberty and of country ever produced, there displayed
themselves in spite of a thousand contrary and fatal passions:
discords between the cities, discords in the cities, enterprises of
the nobles against the people, licentiousness of democracy,
hereditary enmities of race. What men were those Bitunyes who in
one day burned twenty of their towns! What men were those Camutes,
fugitives, pursued by the sword, by famine, by winter, and whom
nothing could conquer! What variety of character is there amongst
their chiefs--from the druid Divitiac, the good and honest
enthusiast of the Roman civilization, to the savage Ambio-rix,
crafty, vindictive, implacable, who admired and imitated nothing
save the savageness of the German: from Dumno-rix, that ambitious
but fierce agitator, who wished to make the conqueror of the Gauls
an instrument, but not a master, to that Vercingeto-rix, so pure,
so eloquent, so true, so magnanimous in misfortune, and who wante