13.07.2015 Views

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

224 THE HISTORYthing where<strong>of</strong> no prince in <strong>the</strong> work! can l30ast;and he's regarded, you may imagine, as no meanpotentate by his subjects, who know none greaterthan he. When <strong>the</strong> wife <strong>of</strong> any <strong>of</strong> 'em dies, hehas immediate recourse to his lord, representingfirst his own loss in <strong>the</strong> want <strong>of</strong> a meet help* ; andnext that <strong>of</strong> Mac-neil himself, if he should not goon to beget followers for him. Hereupon Macneilfinds out a suteable match (nei<strong>the</strong>r side everdisliking his choice, but accepting it as <strong>the</strong> highestfavor) and <strong>the</strong> marriage is celebrated withoutany courtship, portion or dowry, But <strong>the</strong>y neverfail to make merry on such occasions with a bottleor more <strong>of</strong> usquebah. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r handf, whenany woman becomes a widdow, she's upon <strong>the</strong>like application soon providedwith a husband,and with as little ceremony. AVhoever may dislikethis Hyperborean manner <strong>of</strong> preventing delay,disdain, or disappointment, yet he cannot but approveMac-neil's conduct, in supplying J any <strong>of</strong>his tenants with as many milch-cows, as he maychance to lose by <strong>the</strong>severity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wea<strong>the</strong>r, orby o<strong>the</strong>r misfortunes; which is not <strong>the</strong> less truecharity, for being good policy. Most worthy likewise<strong>of</strong> imitation is his taking into his own family(building a house hard by on purpose for <strong>the</strong>m)and maintaining to <strong>the</strong> day <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir death, as manyeld men, as, thro' age or inlirmity§, become unlit* Martin, page S7. f Ibid. t ^^i^'- ^ P^ge 9.8.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!