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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. 233man that did not obey <strong>the</strong>ir decree and sentence.All <strong>the</strong> arts, sciences, learning, philosopliy, anddivinity that was taught m <strong>the</strong> land, was taughtby tliem ;and <strong>the</strong>y taught by memory, and neverwouYl that <strong>the</strong>ir knowledge and learning shou'dbe put in writing :whereby when <strong>the</strong>y were supprestby <strong>the</strong> emperor <strong>of</strong> Rome in<strong>the</strong> beginning<strong>of</strong> Christianity, <strong>the</strong>ir learning, arts, laws, sacrifices,and governments were lost and extinguish<strong>the</strong>re in this land ;so that I can find no more mention<strong>of</strong> any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir deeds in our tongue than Ihave set down, but that <strong>the</strong>y dwelled in rocksand woods, and dark places, and some places inour land had <strong>the</strong>ir names from <strong>the</strong>m, and are calledafter <strong>the</strong>ir names to this day. And <strong>the</strong> iland <strong>of</strong>Mone or Anglesea is taken to be one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>irchiefest seats in Britain, because it was a solitaryiland full <strong>of</strong> .wood, and not inhabited <strong>of</strong> any but<strong>the</strong>mselves; and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> ile <strong>of</strong> Mone, which iscalled Anglesea, was called yr Inys JDoivyll, thatis, <strong>the</strong> dark iland. And after that <strong>the</strong> Drudiomwere supprest, <strong>the</strong> huge groves which <strong>the</strong>y favor'dand kept a-foot, were rooted up, and that groundtiird. Then that iland did yield such abundanceand plenty <strong>of</strong> corn, that it might sustain and keepall Wales with bread; and <strong>the</strong>refore <strong>the</strong>re arose<strong>the</strong>n a proverb, and yet is to this day, viz. Monmam Q^mhri\ that is, 3Iou <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> Wales.Some do term <strong>the</strong> proverb thus, Mon mam Wyneddjthat is, Mon <strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> North^A ales, that i«^

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