The Sun.
London, England, 1829-07-25 00:00:00

CELTIC POPULATION IN FRANCE.

In the western part of France, northward of
the Loire, that is in the ancient Bretagne, there
is a large population who speak a language
which is at bottom the same with that as the
Welsh. Whether the people of Wales are a
colony from Bretagne, or the people of Bretagne
a colony from Wales, is a point in dispute among
antiquaries ; but we have little doubt that the
French Celts are the more ancient of the two.
They are spread over the five departments of
Cotes du Nord, Finisterre, Ille et Vilainc, Mor-
bihan, and Loire Inferieure, and compose a large
part of the population of these districts, the
whole of which amounts to 2,400,000. In some
papers which we published respecting the Celtic
population two years ago, we alluded to the
want of information as to their habits and con-
dition. This, we find, is partially supplied by
some articles in the Bulletin des Sciences Geo-
graphiques, now before us, the substance of
which we shall present to our readers.
The Breton or Celtic language prevails chiefly
in Finisterre, Morbihan, and Cotes.du Nord,
and has four principal dialects, some of which
differ so much from the others, that an inhabi-
tant of Leon for instance, is very imperfectly
understood in Cornouailles, and not at all in
Morbihan. Before the Revolution it was iu
some cases difficult to find four or five persons
in a parish who knew French, but now there
is not a cultivator in decent circumstances,
in whose family there is not an indi-
vidual who either speaks or understands it.
The Breton language is poor, except in terms
applicable to rural labour, and is quite incapable
of expressing metaphysical ideas. It has no
literature except songs ; and the Breton (a jour-
nal from which the Bulletin has derived its in-
formation) states, that there is one very popular
song, which has often produced on the soldiers
drawn from these districts, effects similar to
those attributed by the Swiss to the Ranz des
Vaches. The peasant of Bretagne lives in an
isolated cottage, which is ill built, and badly
lighted, with no other companions than his fa-
mily and his domestic animals. In his habits he
is incommunicative, and has a bluntness of man-
ner which is rather the result of coarseness of
character than independence. He is more in-
clined to melancholy than gaiety, and rarely ma-
nifests satisfaction. With the inhabitants of
towns he always acts a simulated part, and only
indulges his natural frankness among persons of
his own class. Naturally greedy, he is
supple and submissive when making a re-
quest. If he is wealthy he conceals it, and al-
ways feigns himself poorer than he is, unless
some stronger interest induces him to ex-
aggerate his resources. Severe in his treat-
ment of himself, as well as of his family,
he subjects himself to continual priva-
tions, even when his circumstances do not re-
quire it. As in the case of every ancient people,
the husband is the absolute master of the house,
and the wife can do nothing and dispose of no-
thing without his orders. The Bretons are of
rather short stature, two-thirds of the males being
under five feet in height (five feet four inches
English measure), but they are generally ro-
bust, bear fatigue well, and are faithful to their
engagements, even to the extent of sacrificing
their lives or fortunes. Though generally inac-
tive, they are passionately fond of dancing, both
males and females, and will often travel one or
two leagues to enjoy their favourite pastime on
a barn floor, to the sound of the biniou or bag-
pipe. The dress in the different districts is as
various as the language. At the chapel of Ru-
mingol on fete days, an amusing diversity of
bizarre costumes is displayed. At these fetes,
which are called pardons, they attend in great
numbers, and after taking part in them with much
seriousness, they go in crowds to the taverns,
where they drink copiously, and dance to the
music of the bagpipe. They are strongly at-
tached to their natal soil—follow the routine to
which they have been accustomed with invincible
obstinacy—and, from a certain apathy of cha-
racter, feel little desire for any thing beyond the
most ordinary means of subsistence. Like most
people who are averse to steady labour, they take
to begging in great numbers, and watch the
diligences, that they may extort money by their
importunity from travellers. In their treatment
of infants, they are accustomed to swaddle them
very hard, and, like some savage nations, they
conlpress the head when the child is newly born.
Upon the whole we conclude, from this descrip-
tion, that the French Celts are a rude, ignorant
people, destitute of gaiety, but loving strong ex-
citement ; indifferent to every thing beyond the
narrow circle in which they vegetate, immovable
in their customs and ideas, faithful to one an-
other, and frank in their mutual intercourse, but
suspicious of strangers. In several features of
their national character, they have certainly a
resemblance to the Welsh, the Irish, and our
Highlanders, but the greater number are such as
belong to semi-barbarous life.in every part of the
globe.—Scotsma 72

Lord WILLOUGHBY DE BROOKE, at his
audit at Louth on Tuesday the 14th instant, returned his
low-ground tenants of the parish of Gayton-le-Marsh
whole year's rent, and agreed to deduct 10 per cent. from
the rent for the time to come. The Rev. Dr. Minn,
Rector of the parish, also abated his tithes 30 per cent.

On Wednesday evening, Miss CAROLINE
IluscANn, a child four years old, daughter of Dr. HUS-
BAND, Minster-yard, was in the drawing-room, when,
attracted by the sound of a carriage passing, she rushed
to the window, which was open, and nearly level with the
floor ; she fell out of this window to the: ground, a height
of 14 feet nine inches, and, most remarkable to relate,
got up and went into the house, and told them she was
unhurt ; carrying the news of her fall and preservation
before any one in the house was aware of the accident !
York Chronicle.

PARIS, JULY 17.—The Courts in this me-
tropolis have lately been engaged with a singular trial, the
circumstances of which occurred within the last eight
days. A painter, already well known for talent in his
profession, married a young woman of good family, and of
personal attractions. He loved his bride almost to dis-
traction ; but, from the very first night of their marriage,
he entertained strong suspicions that she had deceived hint,
and was not a spinster. lie questioned her; but the
answers were far from removing his doubts. He beeame
almost mad with rage, and, in a moment of extreme vio-
lence, gave her a blow in the stomach. "Ah ! wretch,"
exclaimed the young woman, "you have killed my child."
The husband appeared thunderstruck at this information,
and on the following day the physician was called in, and
he was of opinion that the young woman had been in the
family way for several months. The husband applied to
the Courts for a separation a mensa et thoro, and declara-
tion to the effect that he was not the father of the child.
The point is rather a difficult one, considering the state of
our laws—the maxim is " Pater is est guent Impala;
denzonstrant." The question is, whether that will apply
in the present case. What is to be done, if the woman
declares that her husbandlS the father of the childi, and
that she had yielded to his, solicitations before marriage?
With respect to the separation, the wife had more right to
demand it, considering the violence used towards her; but
she has made no application of the kind. The point is
quite new; but the jurisdiction of the Courts in this
country does not extend to a case of this qeser,iptian.—
211o)ning Paper.