BOOK Ditmarsia, country of Nordalbingia or Eald 18 Saexen. These unequal portions, which have preserved their names to recent times, are Ditmarsia, Stormaria, and Holsatia. The progress of the Slavi occasioned a fourth division in the province of Wagria. As the early state of all distinguished nations is a curious subject of contemplation, it may not be uninteresting to add a short account of the provinces which our ancestors, when first noticed, occupied on the Continent. DITMARSIA 19 is separated on the north from Sleswick by the Eyder, and from Stormaria on the south by the Stoer. It fronts the isles of Heiligland and Busen, and extends in length one hundred and forty-eight miles, and in breadth ninety-two. Its general aspect is a soil low and marshy, and strong mounds are necessary to keep the ocean to its natural limits. The land on the coast is favourable to corn and cattle; but in the interior appear sterile sands, or uncultivated marshes. Its inhabitants, like those of all unfruitful regions, have been tenacious of the right of enjoying their poverty in independence, and the nature of the country has favoured their military exertions. Their habits of warfare and scanty livelihood produced a harshness of disposition, which often amounted to ferocity.20 BELOW Ditmarsia, and reaching to the Elbe, 18 So Alfred, in his Orosius, p. 20, 21., and his kinsman Ethelwerd, 833., entitle this region. The three divisions exist in Ad. Brem. 22., and Helmoldus Slav. 40. Subsequent geographers acknowledge it. 19 It is called Thiat mares-gaho in S. Anscharius, who lived in 840, and in whose work the name is first met with. 1 Langb. Script. 347. Thiatmaresca, in a diploma of 1059, ib.; and Thiatmarsgoi, in Ad. Brem. 22.-Teutomarsia, Chryteus Proem. Also Dythmersi, Dytmerschi. Suhm has investigated the etymology in his Nordfolk. Oprin. 263. 20 Pontanus, ch. 667. — Cilicius Belli Ditmars. 427., annexed to Krantz. Their banner was an armed soldier on a white horse. II. was STORMARIA.21 The Stoer, which named the CHAP. province, confined it on the north. The Suala, Trave, and Billa, determined the rest of its extent. Stormaria. It was almost one slimy marsh. The wet and low situation of Stormaria and Ditmarsia exactly corresponds with the Roman account of the Saxons living in inaccessible marshes.22 The Stoer is friendly to navigation and fishing. Stormaria is somewhat quadrangular, and its sides may be estimated at one hundred and thirty-two miles.23 DIVIDED from Sleswick by the Levesou on the Holsatia. north, bounded by Wagria on the east, and by the Trave on the south 2, HOLSATIA stretches its numerous woods to Ditmarsia. The local appellation of the region thus confined has been, by a sort of geographical catachresis, applied to denominate all that country which is contained within the Eyder, the Elbe, and the Trave. In the In the age approaching the period of the continental residence of our ancestors, the Holtzati were nominally as well as territorially distinguished from the other states which we have considered." Their country received from 21 Ad. Brem. p. 22. derives the name from Storm, a metaphor expressive of the seditions of the inhabitants; but Stoer, the river, and Marsi, the residents in marshes, seem to compose a juster etymology. Chryteus Sax. 66. - Pont. 664. 22 Saxones, gentem in oceani littoribus et paludibus inviis sitam. Orosius, 7.32. 23 Pontanus, 666. Ad. Brem. 22. distinguishes the Sturmarii with the epithet nobiliores. Their banner was a white swan with a golden collar. Hammaburg (Hamburg) was their metropolis, which, before the eleventh century, had been viris et armis potens: but in Adam's time, was in solitudinem redacta. Ib. 24 Holsatia was 168 miles from Wilster to Kiel, and about 132 from Hanrahuw to New Munster. Pontan. 665. 25 Their etymology has been variously stated; 1. from the woods they inhabited; Holt, a wood; saten, to be seated. Ad. Brem. and Pontan. 2. From their country having been called Olt Saxen, Old Saxony. Shering, De Gent. Angl. 28. It certainly was so named BOOK II. the bounty of nature one peculiar characteristic. As the western and southern coasts of Eald Saexen were repetitions of quagmires, the loftier Holsatia presented a continued succession of forests, and of plains which admitted cultivation. STRENGTH and courage were qualities which grew up with the Holsatian, in common with his neighbours; he has been proverbed for his fidelity; his generosity has been also extolled; but an ancient writer diminishes the value of this rare virtue, by the companions which he associates to it. "They are emulous in hospitality, because to plunder and to lavish is the glory of an Holsatian; not to be versed in the science of depredation is, in his opinion, to be stupid and base." 26 SUCH were the countries in which our Saxon ancestors were residing when the Roman geographer first noticed them; and from these, when the attention of their population became directed to maritime depredations, they made those incursions on the Roman empire, which its authors mention with so much dismay. But the Saxons were one of the obscure tribes whom Providence selected and trained to form the nobler nations of France, Germany, and England, and they have accomplished their distinguished destiny. lib. v. by Ravenna, Geog. lib. v. s. 31. So in Bede, lib. i. c. 15. and c. 11. Chron. Sax. p. 13. By Gregory, Ep. Bib. Mag. v. 16. p. 101., and Boniface, ib. p. 55., who lived in the seventh century. Nennius, 3 Gale Script. Angl. 115.- 3. See another derivation in Verstegan, 91. Eginhard, in the ninth century, names it Holdunstetch. The derivation of Adam of Bremen has prevailed. 26 Helmoldus, Chron. Slav. 40. He adds, that the three people of Nordalbingia differed little either in dress or language. They had the jura Saxonum. CHAP. III. Circumstances favourable to the Increase of the SAXON Power on the III. ABOVE a century elapsed after Ptolemy, before CHAP. the Saxons were mentioned again by any author who has survived to us. Eutropius is the second writer we have, who noticed them. In accounting for the rebellion of Carausius, and his assumption of the purple, he states the Saxons to have united with the Francs, and to have become formidable to the Romans for their piratical enterprises. In the century which elapsed between Ptolemy and Carausius, the Saxons had greatly advanced in power and reputation, and they were beginning their system of foreign depredations, when that emperor encouraged them to pursue it. it. Their prosperity during this interval seems to have arisen from the repulse of the Romans from the Elbe to the Rhine; from the rise of the Francs; and from their own application to maritime expeditions. THE descendants of the first Scythian population Progress of of Europe had acquired the name of Germans in the time of Cæsar. That it was a recent appellation, we learn from Tacitus.' They were first invited into Gaul, to assist one of its contending factions, and the fertility of the country was so tempting, that their 15,000 auxiliaries gradually 1 Tacitus, Mor. Germ. c. 2. the Romans to the Elbe. II. BOOK Swelled into 120,000 conquerors 2, who established themselves in the northern provinces. Cæsar defeated them with great destruction; but he admits that France, from the Rhine to the Seine and Marne, was peopled by German tribes, differing from the Kelts in language, laws, and customs, little civilized, averse from trade, but excelling in bravery.3 THE same insuppressible love of distinction and adventure which led Cæsar into Britain, actuated him to an invasion of Germany. He resolved to pass the Rhine, that he might show them that the Romans could both dare and accomplish the attempt. He was offered ships; but he chose to construct a bridge, as better suited to the dignity of the Roman nation.5 He crossed the Rhine, burnt the towns and villages of one tribe, alarmed others; and after staying eighteen days in the country, returned to France, and made his first incursion into Britain. In a subsequent year, he entered Germany again by a temporary bridge; but the natives retiring to their woods, he thought it dangerous to pursue them, and left a garrison on the Rhine." He used some German auxiliaries against the Gauls; and was materially benefited by a charge of German horse, in his great battle at Pharsalia. His vast project of entering and subduing Germany from the Euxine has been already noticed. 8 YET Cæsar had but shown Germany to the Romans, as he had led them to the knowlege of 2 So one of the Keltic princes told Cæsar, lib. i. c. 23. In combating these Germans, the Eduari of Gaul, a Keltic race, had lost almost all their nobility, senate, and cavalry. 3 Cæsar, lib. ii. c. 1. lib. i. c. i. 4 Cæsar, lib. iv. c. 13. 7 Cæsar, lib. vi. c. 27. 5 Ib. c. 15. 6 Ib. c. 16. c. 17. 8 Florus. |