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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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—NOTES.33^Mr. Pinkarton, that he may appropriate to his beloved Goths<strong>the</strong> sepulchral monuments wherein burnt human bones are foundsays (vol. 1. p. 4[3,)—<strong>the</strong>re is no room to believe that <strong>the</strong> Celtsever burned <strong>the</strong>ir dead at all. Will any man imagine (hat hecould be ignorant <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> following passage <strong>of</strong> Ccesar (lib. 6. cap,19.) Funera sum^pro cultu Gallorum^ magnifica et simptuGsaomniaqiie quce vivis cordi fuisse arhitrantur in ignem inferuntetiam animalia; ac paiilo supra hancmemoriam servi et dientes^qaos abiis dilectos esse constabat, justis funebribus con/cctis, unacremabantur—i, e. " The funerals jf <strong>the</strong> Gauls, considering<strong>the</strong>ir circumstances, are magnificent and sumptuous; and <strong>the</strong>ythrow- into <strong>the</strong> fire whatever <strong>the</strong>y imagine was most esteemedby <strong>the</strong> deceased when alive, and even animals.A little before<strong>the</strong> recollection <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> present day, those servants and clientswho were most beloved by <strong>the</strong>m (<strong>the</strong> necessary funeral rites beingperformed), were burnt along with <strong>the</strong>m.'*stance <strong>of</strong> J.: r. Pinkarton's disingenuity.This is ano<strong>the</strong>r in.Indeed he has, in many cases, hard work, but his dexterity isadmirable, though, in some instances, extremely ludicrous.Thevitrified forts in Scotland have outlived both history and tradition.There was <strong>the</strong>refore no authority for making <strong>the</strong>m Pictishfor which cause he does not mention <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> teiii^ but informsus by a note, {v. 2. p.251.) that \h9.y were built by oneVault MacJdyrem <strong>the</strong> 13th century. In <strong>the</strong> present case hisusual ingenuity seems to have failed. As it was his intentionnot to ascribe <strong>the</strong>m io <strong>the</strong> Celts, he should have assigned <strong>the</strong>mto some gentleman <strong>of</strong> Gothic name; for as Vuull Macktyre was,from <strong>the</strong> very name, clearly a Celt, <strong>the</strong>se edifices must still beCeltic. Strange! that he could not have rendered <strong>the</strong>m a lususnature, or made Torfceus swallow <strong>the</strong>m.The Celtic names which ev?ry where occur, are a source <strong>of</strong>infinite uneasiness to Mr. Plnkarton. lie has indeed laid itdown as an axiom, Thai language is <strong>the</strong> surest mark, wherebyto discover <strong>the</strong> origin <strong>of</strong> nations. Yet he will not allow one argumentto be deduced from this axiom in favour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Celis^but monopolizss (he whols for his beloved Pk^ts,Did P^nden^

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