Note 29 — Chapter I · SAXON AND WELSH TRADITIONS.

Professor Leo, of Halle, has called attention to a remarkable resemblance between the names of certain places in Kent, and settlements of the Alamanni upon the Neckar. A few of these, it must be admitted, are striking, but the majority are only such as might be expected to arise from similarities of surface and natural features in any two countries settled by cognate populations, having nearly the same language, religious rites and civil institutions. Even if the fact be admitted in the fullest extent, it is still unnecessary to adopt Dr. Leo’s hypothesis, that the coincidence is due to a double migration from the shores of the Elbe. Rectitud. sing. person. pp. 100-104. It has been already stated that Constantius was accompanied to Britain by an Alamannic king; and I cannot doubt that under Valentinian, a force of Alamanni served in this country. Ammianus says: “Valentinianus ... in Macriani locum, Bucinobantibus, quae contra Moguntiacum gens est Alamanna, regem Fraomarium ordinavit: quem paullo postea, quoniam recens excursus eundem penitus vastaverat pagum, in Britannos translatum potestate tribuni, Alamannorum praefecerat numero, multitudine, viribusque ea tempestate florenti.” Hist. xxix. c. 4. The context renders it impossible that this “numerus Alamannorum” should have been anything but genuine Germans.