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A new edition of Toland's History of the druids: - Free History Ebooks

A new edition of Toland's History of the druids: - Free History Ebooks

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OF THE DRUIDS. 223who live according- to opinion, %vill never be rich.'Tis certain that no body wants, what he doesnot desire :and how much easier is it not to desirecertain things, than o<strong>the</strong>rwise? as it is far morehealthy and happy towant, than to injoy <strong>the</strong>m.Nei<strong>the</strong>r is <strong>the</strong>ir ignorance <strong>of</strong> vices in <strong>the</strong>se ilandsany diminution to <strong>the</strong>ir virtue, since (not being by<strong>the</strong>ir situation concerned in any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> disputesabout dominion or commerce, that distract <strong>the</strong>world) <strong>the</strong>y are notonely rigid observers <strong>of</strong>justice,but show less propensity than any people to tumults;except what <strong>the</strong>y may be unwarily ledinto by <strong>the</strong> extraordinary deference <strong>the</strong>y pay to<strong>the</strong> opinion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir chiefs and leaders, who areaccountable for <strong>the</strong> mischiefs <strong>the</strong>y sometimesbring (as at this very time*) on <strong>the</strong>se well-meaningHyperboreans. For Hyperboreans I will nowpresume to call <strong>the</strong>m, and withall to claim Abarisas a philosopher <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Brittish vv^orld,principally occasion'd this di^^rescion ;which hason that accountnot improper, nor, I hope, altoge<strong>the</strong>r uselessin o<strong>the</strong>r respects. Be this as jour lordship shallthink fit to judge, ! will not finish it before I haveacquainted you with an odd custom or two, thathave from time immemorial obtain'd in Barra and<strong>the</strong> lesser circumjacent ilands, which are <strong>the</strong> property<strong>of</strong> Mac-neil. The present is <strong>the</strong> thirty-fifthlord <strong>of</strong> Barra by uninterrupted linealdescent, a* 1719.

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