Birminghams, the
De Courcies, and many others. If these had been united among themselves,
or had retained their allegiance to England, their influence could not
have been long opposed successfully. Their several principalities would
have formed separate centres of civilization; and the strong system of
order would have absorbed and superseded the most obstinate resistance
which could have been offered by the scattered anarchy of the Celts.

[Sidenote: The assimilation of the Norman Irish to the native Celts.]

[Sidenote: Efforts of the government to repress the growing evil.]

[Sidenote: Fresh colonists from England follow in the same course.]

Unfortunately, the materials of good were converted into the worst
instruments of evil. If an objection had been raised to the colonization
of America, or to the conquest of India, on the ground that the
character of Englishmen would be too weak to contend successfully
against that of the races with whom they would be brought into contact,
and that they would relapse into barbarism, such an alarm would have
seemed too preposterous to be entertained; yet, prior to experience, it
would have been equally reasonable to expect that the modern Englishman
would adopt the habits of the Hindoo or the Mohican, as that the fiery
knights of Normandy would have stooped to imitate a race whom they
despised as slaves; that they would have flung away their very knightly
names to assume a barbarous equivalent;[283] and would so utterly have
cast aside the commanding features of their Northern extraction, that
their children's children could be distinguished neither in soul nor
body, neither in look, in dress, in language, nor in disposition, from
the Celts whom they had subdued. Such, however, was the extraordinary
fact. The Irish who had been conquered in the field revenged their
defeat on the minds and hearts of their conquerors; and in yielding,
yielded only to fling over their new masters the subtle spell of the
Celtic disposition. In vain the government attempted to stem the evil.
Statute was passed after statute forbidding the "Englishry" of Ireland
to use the Irish language, or intermarry with Irish families, or copy
Irish habits.[284] Penalties were multiplied on penalties; fines,
forfeitures, and at last death itself, were threatened for such
offences. But all in vain. The stealthy evil crept on irresistibly.[285]
Fresh colonists were sent over to restore the system, but only for
them