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

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814 NOTES.<strong>of</strong> judgment. In (he word Bhraith, Bh is pronounced F, andZA final is quiescent. This is ano<strong>the</strong>r incontroyertible instancethat <strong>the</strong> Druids liad judicial circles, as well as religious ones.In <strong>the</strong> parish <strong>of</strong> Closcburn, on a farm named <strong>the</strong> Cairn, withinmy recollection, <strong>the</strong>re existed <strong>the</strong> Cairn on <strong>the</strong> top <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> hill to<strong>the</strong> west <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> farm steading. A few <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> temple stones remainedimmediately behind <strong>the</strong> dwelling-house. The AuldGirth is situated at <strong>the</strong> eastern extremity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> farm, and giresname to a small bridge <strong>the</strong>re, as well as to a farm in <strong>the</strong> Yicinity.The <strong>new</strong> Girth, or judicial circle, stood on <strong>the</strong> north side <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>hill, on which <strong>the</strong> Cairn is situated, and near a small streamnamed Clacharie, or Clachawrie Burn. It is easy here to trace<strong>the</strong> affinity <strong>of</strong> this word to <strong>the</strong> before-mentioned Tom.na-vrie.It is Clacha^vrie, with <strong>the</strong> Saxon iv substituted for <strong>the</strong> GaelicIk, equivalent to v, conformable to <strong>the</strong> dialect <strong>of</strong> that district.The word is Clacha Bhraith (<strong>the</strong> same with Dr. Smith's C/achaBreath) pronounced Clacha vray or wray^ and signifies <strong>the</strong> stones<strong>of</strong> judgment. Whoever wishes to see a Druidical judicial circle,will have his curiosity gratified at Bower-tree Bush, about midwnyfrom Stonehaven to Aberdeen. The temple first catches <strong>the</strong>eye, <strong>of</strong> which only four erect stones remain; but <strong>the</strong> judicialcircle, situated about two hundred yards west <strong>of</strong> it, and dividedinto three septs, is as complete as that day it was erected.I hope enough has been advanced to convince every unprejudicedman that <strong>the</strong> distinction betwixt <strong>the</strong> religious and judicialcircles <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Druids is well founded. There are ano<strong>the</strong>r kind<strong>of</strong> edifices which appear to combine inone both <strong>the</strong> temple and<strong>the</strong> judicial circle, <strong>of</strong> which kind is Stonehenge, but I shall reservemy remarks till I have occasion to treat <strong>of</strong> this remarkablestructure.i^ut Pinkarton has a mason, and a most imperious one too,for denying <strong>the</strong> existence <strong>of</strong> Dru'dical temples. Cx'sar (lib. 6.cap. 21.) givf s us an epitome <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gorman or Gothic religion,^am netjue Druides habent qui divinis rebus prcrsint, ncque s atrificiis student—], e. " for <strong>the</strong>y nei<strong>the</strong>r have priests (Druids)"Who preside over divine things, iipr do <strong>the</strong>y <strong>of</strong>fer sacrifices at

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