The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-14

is tending 10 support him-thc common notion
that the Roman conquest had flooded the coun-
try with swarms OF disbandcd veterans and with
n multitude OF patriclans. followed by crowds Of
clients. is q pure imagination. The snme au-
thor concludes from a largo number Of facts.
that during the whole term Of Roman domi-
nation. the Gallo race remained prcponderant
in the country. and tho inntration Of foreign
blood wae scarcely appreciable." This state
ment appears too strong; but we cannot doubt
that Mt the epoch of the FIRST Christian propa-
ganda the Colts in the west and centre. and with
somewhat less completeness lowing to the
special attention paid by the Romans TO from
ters), the semi TeutonHod tribes in the North
east kept their native worship. their language.
and customs. except the old characteristic prac-
tice OF intestine war
And finally Italy itself far from homogeneous
cthnoloaicaly. never in fact attained a true ne
tonal conference under the sway OF its chief
city. II. MS Sismondi denies. the highly arti-
fetal language which we know rs the Latin Of
books was ever spoken at all outside OF pa
trician circles and the law courts. IL is certain
that numerous dialects existed between the
Adratic and Tuscan sens. which differed wide
~ from tho literary tongue and from each other
Nearly n third part of tho Peninsula was yet
Hellenic. and in tho midst Of many Gre
clan -sties. planted oil over the coun-
try OF the Bruttli, not few zanzibar
barous tribes held their ground. some Of
which have survived to our own day. The
Samnites. according to Strabo. were extirpatod
by Sylla; but the researches oil local nniiduaries
arc constantly disclosing traces OF persistent
life on the part Of kindred naiionalities In tho
centre and cast Of Italy. The strange Etrurian
race was slow to die, while the Gauls in
trenched behind the Pc, kept fast their alien
speech and ways far on into the fourth century
1t is true. no doubt. that the great high
ways which scanned Italy from end to
end were fringed by the close OF the
first century with Senatorial or equestrian
villas, while in the meanest burg decent quarters
and Ineligible converse in the Latin or Greek
tongues could usually be had at tho houses Of
municipal authorities. But such facilities. We
need not say. we're not for tho humble wayfarers
who brought a message of announcement to
the freedman and the slave; and 1t IL certain
that, owing to the diversity OF language and
dialect lust noted. their mission must have en-
countered the most serious distractions in the
heart OF the Italian peninsula and under the
shadow. So TO speak. OF the nperial City.
such are the facts demonstrated In this vol
ume by nm impressive array of evidence rs To
the alleged unincaton OF the Roman empire
and il s plain that their practical bearings upon
the Christian propaganda must have been by
no means auspicious The general inference il
enforced by the concrete example Of st. Paul's
experience in Asia Minor. whose strange con
nux II races. walled of from one another iu
speech and customs, made il an'epitomc Of tho
larger world The author points out how diff
feront must have been the Apostles inod,,s
dgendi in such countries rs Galatia Phrygia
Lycaonia and Cappadocia. and again in the
Greek cities OF the coast. yet it was in
the midst Of these subdivisions. n checker
board OF nations old and new, iarring with
one another in all ways touching their social
condition that ~. Paul appeared suddenly.
found means to challenge the sympathies Of
each segregated people. recruited a large fol
lowing. founded churches. ordained bishops.
and did the work so thoroughly that not long
aiterward the whole country II reported Chris
tian. But here. as elsewhere. the solo advun-
tage offered 10 the Evangelists by the universal
IVY OF inc hoihah dominion seems 10 nave i"lh
ia inc i"cili' "i 'raNei ana Ia inc common
iu'ons "i ureece ana i'niy pu' may not
In saiu 'i'"' '"'s gam. sueh "s II was, became
more u'"h hcu'r"iiNeu When 'he H'"Vo pres
eh'N "oN "i"IHn, anu III" SAME appn-
ah'"s Msro inNon'u '" r'h"'r ""-'o'u NOR
h'HulD vic lulS VI iii' prosecuting loWtf hlb-