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FOR DULNESS, THE CREEPING SAXONS,--says an old Irish poem, assigning
the characteristics for which different nations are celebrated:-

For acuteness and valour, the Greeks,
For excessive pride, the Romans,
For dulness, the creeping Saxons;
For beauty and amorousness, the Gaedhils.

We have seen in what sense, and with what explanation, this
characterisation of the German may be allowed to stand; now let us
come to the beautiful and amorous Gaedhil. Or rather, let us find a
definition which may suit both branches of the Celtic family, the
Cymri as well as the Gael. It is clear that special circumstances
may have developed some one side in the national character of Cymri
or Gael, Welshman or Irishman, so that the observer's notice shall be
readily caught by this side, and yet it may be impossible to adopt it
as characteristic of the Celtic nature generally. For instance, in
his beautiful essay on the poetry of the Celtic races, M. Renan, with
his eyes fixed on the Bretons and the Welsh, is struck with the
timidity, the shyness, the delicacy of the Celtic nature, its
preference for a retired life, its embarrassment at having to deal
with the great world. He talks of the douce petite race
naturellement chretienne, his race fiere et timide, a l'exterieur
gauche et embarrassee.


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