The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-16

of. being exceptionally well acquainted.
We heartily commend the book to our
own countryrnen, and We add that it would
do E%nglishmen no harm TO read it either.
In each of tho ten chapters will be ound
something new and substantial. but in
the space at our command we can best
exenplify the merit of the book by direct
inS special attention to the second and
fifth chapters. respectively entitled who
Are the English?" and Are the English
Duh2' s5ia .-nrur '-r
Whence come the 1 ,O0O, OO Englishmen
of+the ruling class who control one-fifth
OF, the known surface OF the globe and
dominate one in every five Of all the in
habitants thereof? Mr.. Collier essays in
his second chapter to answer this question
by showing how it has come to pass that
out. OF the various wars and invasions Of
the island of Great Britain from the time
of7Csesar's first landing there has perco-
lated down a million Of men who rule a
great part of the world. He cannot but
think. he Gays, that in tracing the course
~ofsneariy W. Thousand years n must
coime here and there upon interesting and
important documents dealing with the
origins. the ancestry, the lineage and
training Of this superb band'of a million
men who until recently have seemed to
hold the globe in their hands.
1t is certain that Cesar did not go TO
Britain for a holiday on account Of the
charms of the islands climate. His
transient incirsion and the later far more
durable occupation were prompted by a
wish to control the insular Britons and 10
prevent their sending aid to the Cont
mental Gauls who were fighting, or at any
hour might u fighting. with Rome,
The Romans stayed there from about the
middle OF the first century OF our era until
the opening years Of the f1fthoentury. just
what stamp the Romans left upon the
insnlar Britons is a matter of warm con.
froversy. Perhaps Mr.. Collier goes toe
far when he says that England is in nc
sense Roman. or in other words that the
legtons when they were called away In
4os A. D. left the island British as it was
before, with no trace of their language
their customs or their laws, Mr.. Collier
ia certainly mistaken in saying that 'Af
there is no Roman, 80 there is no Briton
or very little in the English ancestry
The prevalent belief now il that in the
west of Great Britain a large British
element was allowed to survive by the
Saxons and Angles who successfully in
vaded England and eventually ~preponder-
ated as far west as the Welsh border and
as far north as Glasgow.
What is both true and relatively new in
MIR. Golfers remarks about the Germanic
tribes that really made the England of
to-day is what he says about the qualities
OF the SaSons. or in other words the par
ficular Teutonic tribe which though it
failed to give England a name gave it a
Distinguishing character. Mr.. Collier
points out that some OF the Saxons came
In the first instance to Britain as compan-
ions {" their neighbors, the Jutes. but
while the ,Tutes came for adventure ant
for booty the Saxons came because they
wanted land TO settle on. They came
because their own country was becoming
o~vercrowded- They were an agricul.
tural people of the peasant class. There
was no trace of feudalism among them.
They were land owners with equal rights
who gradually pushed their way over the
English soil. beating back the Britons and
securely occupying the territory they had
won-....
The author directs attention TO a fact
Of fundamental importance. namely, that
the Sa1ons who settled in Britain WERE
independent farmers, acknowledged nc
chief, no king, and when they were called
--s.- Q-kt ta-atLar thor ,S-~-~l
the call OF the leader or answ cred II not
as they chose. When King Alfred called
upon them the first time TO join him In
driving out the Danes they refused 10
aid him. Finally they came to his assist.
ance, but at a time of their own choosing.
Itfs. also to DO borne in mind that when
these Saxon farmers came together Ia
discuss questions of common and gen.
ersl interest the meeting Or assembly
was not Of subjects or followers but
OF freemen. They had apparently lit.
tie taste for public meetings. and those
Of them who were much occupied with
their own estates or their own Affairs
got into the way Of staying away alto,
gether. On the other hand those who
had leisure or talent for such matters
went 10 what became known as the Witen,
aeemot. or the Meeting OF Wise Men, which
aftervard developed into the English
Parliament. took over the settlement
al public questions and left the farmer,
free TO attend to their own affairs. Ever
10 matters Of justice and punishment
each group appointed one OF their nurn
her richer or more expert in such matter,
10 choose juries and TO preside over such
rsses. Finally, th" sovereign got into
tho habii'sf wnmine such persons, already
,uarked out as NJ for such duties by theil
n%ciRhbors, IA Magistrates. and In this, a,
w should call il, FREQ and easy fashion the
business Of government was carried on"