in his tenth chapter, "suppose that about the year 240" {suppose then, we, for our greater comfort, say about the year 250, half-way to end of fifth century, where we are,—ten years less or more, in cases of 'supposing about' do not much matter,but some floating buoy of a date will be handy here.)
About' A.D. 250, then, "a new confederacy was formed under the name of Franks, by the old inhabitants of the lower Rhine and the Weser."
18. My own impression, concerning the old inhabitants of the lower Rhine and the Weser, would have been that they consisted mostly of fish, with superficial frogs and ducks; but Mr. Gibbon's note on the passage informs us that the new confederation composed itself of human creatures, in these items following.
| 1. | The Chauci, | we are not told where.' | |
| 2. | The Sicambri | ,, | in the Principality of Waldeck. |
| 3. | The Attuarii | ac}|,, | in the Duchy of Berg. |
| 4. | The Bructeri | ,, | on the banks of the Lippe. |
| 5. | The Chamavii | ,, | in the country of the Bructeri. |
| 6. | The Catti | ,, | in Hessia. |
All this I believe you will be rather easier in your minds if you forget than if you remember;
