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and, as it were, naturalized among the Germans and Scandinavians. Let us call to mind what Tacitus says of the respect shewn by these nations to their women. The Romans by no means introduced sentiments of this kind into the countries they conquered. It was not from them that they were adopted in Spain, France, England, &c. Whence comes it then, that after the fall of the Roman Empire, we find this spirit of gallantry all of a sudden spread so wide? We see plainly that this spirit, so peculiar to the northern nations, could only be spread and diffused by themselves. Formed and cherished by their religious prejudices, by their passion for war, and the chastity natural to their women, at the fame time intimately connected with their customs and manners, it could not but follow them into all their settlements, and there would continue to maintain its influence for many ages. But afterwards, when the nations descended from them became more civilized and wealthy, the splendid and shewy effects, which this fine spirit of gallantry then produced, would easily dazzle the eyes of inquirers, and prevent them from discerning the origin of it among so rude a race of men as their Gothic ancestors: so that at present, when one would trace it up to its real source, we have strong prejudices to encounter and surmount.
