d
nothing to take a place amongst the greatest men, but to have had
another enemy, above all another historian, than Caesar!

"The fourth period comprises the organization of Gaul into a Roman
province, and the slow and successive assimilation of Transalpine
manners to the manners and institutions of Italy--a labour
commenced by Augustus, continued with success by Claudius,
completed in latter times. That transference from one civilization
to another was not made without violence and without checks:
numerous revolts are suppressed by Augustus--a great insurrection
fails against Tiberius. The distractions and the impending ruin of
Rome during the civil wars of Galba, of Otho, of Vitellius, and of
Vespasian, gave room for a sudden explosion of the spirit of
independence to the north of the Alps. The Gaulish nations again
took up arms, the senates reformed themselves, the proscribed
druids reappeared, the Roman legions cantoned on the Rhine are
defeated or gained over, an empire of the Gauls is constructed in
haste: but soon Gaul perceives that it is already at bottom
entirely Roman, and that a return to the ancient order of things is
no longer either desirable for its happiness, or even possible; it
resigns itself therefore to its irrevocable destiny, and reunites
without a murmur into the community of the Roman empire."--(I.
6-10)

Here indeed is a noble field for history--many such exist not in the
world; it joins the colours of romance to the truth of narrative--it
embraces within its range all countries, from the snow-clad mountains of
the north to the waterless deserts of the south.

When the first light of history dawns upon the Gallic race, we find them
settled in that territory which is bounded by the Rhine, the Alps, the
Mediterranean, the Pyrenees, and the ocean, and in the British isles.
There they lived, leading a pastoral life, wandering about from place to
place, and ready to descend with their flocks and herds wherever
cupidity might lead, or fancy direct them. They first turned their
footsteps towards Spain; tribe after tribe crossed the Pyrenees, and
either expelled or amalgamated with the aboriginal inhabitants. Their
efforts were principally directed towards the centre and west; in
consequence of which, the native Spaniards, displaced and driven back
upon the Mediterranean coast, soon opened