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

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368 NOTES.<strong>the</strong> Italians, who appeased Latian Jove, and Saturn, with humanvictims." The etymon <strong>of</strong> Hesus has bpen uniformly mistaken.The glory <strong>of</strong> a warriour is his strength, and <strong>the</strong> Celtic god <strong>of</strong>"war behoved to be a powerful deity. The Celtic names are generallydescriptive, and highly appropriate. To <strong>the</strong>ir god <strong>of</strong>war <strong>the</strong>y gave <strong>the</strong> name Eas or Es^ i. e. a torrent or cataractthat sweeps all before it, to which <strong>the</strong> Romans added <strong>the</strong>ir terminationus^ and formed Esus or Hesus, The name conveys ioBS <strong>the</strong> same idea, but in a much more primitive and forcible manner,as if <strong>the</strong>y had named him irresistible or invincible^ for whocould contend with a cataract? The Tuscan god Esar, whom<strong>the</strong> Tuscans borrowed from <strong>the</strong> Umbrians <strong>the</strong>ir precursors, has<strong>the</strong> very same signification. In <strong>the</strong> Gaelic language, Easf hearis still a name <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> deity, and literally means <strong>the</strong> i?ian <strong>of</strong> ihglataract,NoteLXXXII.Teutates.—Lucan, (lib. 1.) says,Et quibus immitis placatur sanguine diroTeutates.i. e. '* And by whom (<strong>the</strong> Gauls,) cruel Teutates is appeasedby direful blood." Calepine, on <strong>the</strong> authority <strong>of</strong> Plato, reckonshim <strong>the</strong> inventor <strong>of</strong> geometry and astronomy. If so, Cicero(de Nat. Deor.) very properly reckons him an Egyptian god,geometry having been first invented in Egypt to determine <strong>the</strong>limits <strong>of</strong> private property, which were annually effaced hy <strong>the</strong>overflowings <strong>of</strong> tbe Nile. Sanchoniatkon^ <strong>the</strong> Phoenician, cotemporarywith Gideon, and who composed his history about1200 years prior to our asra, reckons Teutates, or (as he callsLim) Taauty <strong>the</strong> inventor <strong>of</strong> letters, and says he was indebted to<strong>the</strong> book <strong>of</strong> Taaut for <strong>the</strong> greater part <strong>of</strong> his materials. Thisgod is supposed to have been <strong>the</strong> Mercury <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Greeks. In<strong>the</strong> Gaelic this word signifies Warmth^ or Heat.—See Note 33.Note LXXXIII.Bclenus vel Ahellio.—Both <strong>the</strong>se d«ities ha?e already been ad»Tertcd lo.—See Note 42,

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