Those of the
north show a tendency to encroach on those of the south. The former
are nomads, hunters, or fishers, made bold by a constant struggle
with the infelicities of their environment. The latter are occupied
with the settled industries of civilised life.
The Goths and Vandals of Rome, and the Tartars under Genghis and
Tamerlane all conform to this law and seem to be actuated by a
common impulse. In the east and west of the Eastern hemisphere
may be noted two examples of this general movement, which afford
a curious parallel: I refer to the Normans of Great Britain and
the Manchus of China. Both empires are under the sway of dynasties
which originated in the north; for the royal house of Britain,
though under another title, has always been proud of its Norman
blood.
The Normans who conquered Britain had first
[Page 268]
settled in France and there acquired the arts of civilised life.
The Manchus coming from the banks of the Amur settled in Liao-tung,
a region somewhat similarly situated with reference to China. There
they learned something of the civilisation of China, and watched
for an opportunity to obtain possession of the empire. In Britain a
kindred branch of the Norman family was on the throne, and William
the Conqueror contrived to give his invasion a colour of right, by
claiming the throne under an alleged bequest of Edward the Confessor.
The Manchus, though not invoking such artificial sanction, aspired
to the dominion of China because their ancestors of the Golden
Horde had ruled over the northern half of the empire.
Pages:
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278