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.

^44NOTES.signifies <strong>the</strong> Strong TVind, a name truly emphatic, and admirablydescriptive <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> north wind, which is <strong>the</strong> strongest andmost impetuous <strong>of</strong> all winds. The Celts used this naaie, and<strong>the</strong> Greeks borrowed it from <strong>the</strong>m.It is well known that <strong>the</strong> Greeks, notwithstanding <strong>the</strong>ir"boasted antiquity, are but a modern nation in comparison <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>Jews, Chaldeans, Egyptians, Indians, Celts, &c.Before Tha/es,•who was contemporary with Pythagoras^ <strong>the</strong>y had a few politiciansand legislators, but not one philosopher, Pythagorasgained little knowledge in Greece, but studied principally inIndia, Chaldea, Italy (Umbria), and, above all, in Egypt. Thedawn <strong>of</strong> philosophy in Greece happened only about six centuriesbefore <strong>the</strong> christian aera. Abaris, <strong>the</strong> Hyperborean priest<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sun, and unquestionably a Celt (as I shall afterwardsevince), was <strong>the</strong> cotemporary and intimate acquaintance <strong>of</strong> Pythagoras,and does not appear to have been in any respect inferiorto him. This is <strong>the</strong> more extraordinary, as Pythagoras hadcompleted his studies, before his acquaintance with Abaris commenced.Hence it is certain that <strong>the</strong> country <strong>of</strong> Abaris, at thatperiod, excelled Greece in <strong>the</strong> knowledge <strong>of</strong> philosophy. That<strong>the</strong> Celts were <strong>the</strong> first inhabitants <strong>of</strong> Europe, is admitted hyPinkarton, <strong>the</strong>ir bitterest enemy. lie even supposes (v. 2. p. 25.)that Ireland, <strong>the</strong> most distant <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Celtic settlements, was inhabitedfrom iOOO to 2000 years before our sera. At any rate<strong>the</strong> migration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Celts from Asia, <strong>the</strong> cradle <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> humanrace, must have happened early after <strong>the</strong> deluge. They musthave preceded <strong>the</strong> Greeks several centuries. Within <strong>the</strong> period<strong>of</strong> au<strong>the</strong>ntic history, we find <strong>the</strong>m, intermixed with <strong>the</strong> Greeks,for many centuries <strong>the</strong>ir neighbours, and not unfrequently <strong>the</strong>irconquerors. The same, with equal certainty, may be said <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> Romans. Is it <strong>the</strong>n to be wondered at, that <strong>the</strong> languages<strong>of</strong> Greece and Rome are tinctured with <strong>the</strong> Celtic ?The migration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Celts from Asia to Europe is a very remoteevent. Mr. Chalmers (see his Caledonia) says <strong>the</strong>y metwith little struggle or opposition, eliic some tradllion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> event

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

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!