J. B. Greenough, Benjamin L. D'Ooge, M. Grant Daniell, Commentary on Caesar's Gallic War

The Britons.

With Caesar begins the history of England. He found there a Celtic people, differing but little from those on the continent, save that they were more barbarous. What the condition or history of the British Isles was before Caesar's invasion is wrapped in obscurity. A few Greek writers refer vaguely to them, and there was an equally vague knowledge of the smaller islands Iying near. Even Caesar gained but little detailed and accurate knowledge of the country, and after him the Romans did not go there for nearly one hundred years. Subsequently it was subdued and brought under Roman dominion. England still shows many traces of the Roman occupation. Many of her cities were founded by the Romans and bear Roman names. After the Romans came the northern invaders, who drove out or destroyed most of the original Celtic population. Those that survived are represented to-day by the Irish, the Welsh, and the Highland Scotch, among whom a branch of the Celtic language is still spoken to a considerable extent.