Volume 3 - Electric Scotland

2G4 ijRUins.
only the same, but that it was, in all, Druidism; since
the same divinities can be traced, through the mythology
of all nations, to a common source. It has been the dis-
ease of the antiquaries of this tribe to hunt down their
subject till they have lost sight of the objects of pursuit;
and to flounder in mysticism and aenigmas, by tracing
remote analogies beyond the bounds of utility or reason,
as they have pursued etymologies into the regions of
darkness and dreams. It does not even follow, that
though all the Celtic nations worshipped the same divini-
ties, as descended from a common parentage, Druidism
should have been the religion and policy of the whole.
This has been a fertile source of error, proceeding from
gross ignorance of, or inattention to, ancient history. It
is to argue as if, because Egypt was governed by its
priests, Greece must also have submitted to the same
dominion and adopted the same political and religious
system. It is forgotten by these persons, that Druidism
was a political as well as a religions institution, or system.
Thus it might have been contined to one branch of the
Celtic nations, without any necessity for its existence in
others. That it actually was so, we are certain. It is
probable that the ancient inhabitants of Italy, the Um-
brians, Ausonians, and Etruscans, were a Celtic people.
We know what the form of government and religion was
in the latter, and we know that it was not Druidism.
The same may be said of the Phenicians and their
descendants; and therefore it is even possible that
Druidism should have been limited, as Caesar has actu-
ally confined it, to a portion of Gaul and a portion of
Britain.
Though I have thus examined the great questions
which relate to Druids and Druidism, and, as I would
hope, placed them in a more rational and better sup-
ported point of view than they have hitherto appeared,