The history of France - v. 1 Author:Parke Godwin Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Aa the hill ranges of Gaul were not, for the most part, impassable, so the extensive valleys between them afforded an easy passage from one extremity of the coun... more »try to the other; and it was natural that an old Greek geographer, contemplating this advantageous configuration, should see in it the hand of an intelligent Providence preparing the residence of a great people.1 But while it was thus well organized within and well defended externally, it was not wholly secured by the mountain and river barriers of its eastern lines from the two mighty and opposing forces of the ancient world, Italy and Germany. Its topographical relations in these respects may be regarded as pledging it beforehand to centuries of terrible and desperate struggle. They indicated it as the probable field of battle for the robust civilization of the south and the robuster barbarism of the north; but, in exposing it to this source of suffering, they also offered its people, as a compensation, the means of reacting upon Europe, and of assuming, if they pleased, a leadership among the nations.3 The physical characteristies of Gaul were more austere and cunute, ctc. savage than those of modern France are now. Covered more extensively by forests and morasses, the winters were severer and the winds ruder.3 Animals which are found chiefly in the colder regions, such as the elk, the bison, the aurochs, and the urus, were not uncommon, and the largest streams were frequently frozen to a solidity which allowed of the passage of armies over them.4 In the north the marshes and the overflowing of the rivers diffused a perpetual humidity.1 The immeasurable woods of oak, beech, elm, and pine, with which gloomy yews and boxes were often mingled, kept the genial sun from the earth.2 But toward the south, in the rich valley...« less