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NOTES. 371ting, lest the vulgar should read them.It is here worthy of remark,that in this part of the sentence, the word Graecis doesnot occur, nor in the sentence immediately following, whereCaesar uses the word Uteris in the same general sense.Indeed,throughout the whole of this chapter, it is evident that by theword Uteris, Caesar does not mean the alphabet at all, butthe art of writing in general.But as the anticeltic writers hare made a great handle of thisword Graecis, to pro?e that the Celts were only acquainted withthe Greek alphabet, and had none of their own, I shall endeavourto probe the matter to the bottom. Let us then retain, insteadof exploding this word, and it must follow, 1. That the Druidicprohibition of committing their tenets towriting extended onlyto the Greek language. 2. That wherever the word Uteris occursin this chapter, (it occurs four times) it must mean theGreek alphabet. 3. That the Greek language was well knowato the vulgar in Gaul, which induced the Druids to interdictthis language in particular, and no other.But so far from the Greek language being generally knownin Gaul, we have the very best authority to the contrary,Csesar,(lib. 1. cap. 19 ) gives us an account of an interview withDivitiacus, where thedaily interpreters were removed, and theconversation carriedon betwixt them by means of Caius ValeriusProcillus.Divitiacus was a very eminent man, and, besides,the Archdruid of all Gaul. Had he been acquainted with theGreek language, no interpreter betwixt him and Caesar wouldhave been necessary; and it would certainly be absurd, in theextreme, to ascribe to the vulgar a knowledge of the Greeklanguage, which even their Archdruid did not possess. TlieGreek language was not therefore the language of the vulgar inGaul, and consequently the Druidic prohibition did not extendto it. Indeed, to whatever hand we turn ourselves, (if theword Graecis is retained) we are involved in a Chaos of nonsense,absurdity, and contradiction. Explode it, and all isclear and consistent.The result of the whole is, that Caesar is not here speaking of