He indicates this Celtic element and influence,
but he does not show us,--it did not come within the scope of his
work to show us,--how this influence has declared itself. Unlike the
physiological test, or the linguistic test, this literary, spiritual
test is one which I may perhaps be allowed to try my hand at
applying. I say that there is a Celtic element in the English
nature, as well as a Germanic element, and that this element
manifests itself in our spirit and literature. But before I try to
point out how it manifests itself, it may be as well to get a clear
notion of what we mean by a Celtic element, a Germanic element; what
characters, that is, determine for us the Celtic genius, the Germanic
genius, as we commonly conceive the two.
IV.
Let me repeat what I have often said of the characteristics which
mark the English spirit, the English genius. This spirit, this
genius, judged, to be sure, rather from a friend's than an enemy's
point of view, yet judged on the whole fairly, is characterised, I
have repeatedly said, by ENERGY WITH HONESTY. Take away some of the
energy which comes to us, as I believe, in part from Celtic and Roman
sources; instead of energy, say rather STEADINESS; and you have the
Germanic genius STEADINESS WITH HONESTY. It is evident how nearly
the two characterisations approach one another; and yet they leave,
as we shall see, a great deal of room for difference.
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