THE UNITY OF HISTORY. 245 does so to-day. With the Roman empire itself France has a full share in the continuity of history; and, indeed, in France the unity of history is illustrated scarcely less than in the history of the Roman empire itself. France, though it bears the name of the Franks, is a Romano-Gallic na- tion, not a Teutonic, to which fact its language, founded on the Roman not less than other incidents bears attestation. Roman conquest passed from Gaul over to Britain the first step toward the opening of another world, which has become the world in which all of us who live under English laws and institutions and use the English lan- guage, dwell to-day. By the steps which followed the conquest of Gaul, Britain was revealed to civilized man and Britain has been truly deemed another world, from the very beginning of her known being. There, in its insular position, protected, since the early invasions, from conquest during nearly one thousand years, the nation whose influence has become so great, both through its own power at home and through its colonial offshoots among which our own Nation holds the leading place has grown great. Through the early conquests Roman, Saxon, Dane, and Norman the successive accretions came, by which this nation, protected by its insularity, has had its development and spread its influence to all parts of the globe. Spain, for three to four centuries, seemed to have this or a like destiny before her, but just missed it through causes that give us one of the most unique and impressive lessons in all history. England succeeded to the rare destiny that, as we look back upon it, would seem surely to have belonged to Spain ; yet Spanish influence, still ascendant in its living or sec- ondary results in so large a part of the world, remains one of the chief testimonies of modern times to the unity of history. Spain, to-day, has no colonies, no sovereignty
