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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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400 NOTES.<strong>the</strong>y were pr<strong>of</strong>ound philosophers, and <strong>the</strong> supreme judges in allcauses, civil or religious.<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> same author, that <strong>the</strong> Druids <strong>of</strong>It is equally clear, from <strong>the</strong> testimonyGaul had, from time immemorial,been <strong>the</strong> pupils <strong>of</strong> those in Britain. Hence we mayreasonably infer, that <strong>the</strong> Druids in Britain were as numerousas those in Gaul, and as widely dispersed. From <strong>the</strong>ir monu.ments still remaining in England, Scotland, and Ireland, thiscan be clearly demonstrated to be <strong>the</strong> case. Indeed, if <strong>the</strong>rewere any doubt <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se monnments being Druidical, it is completelydone away by <strong>the</strong>ir being in all respects <strong>the</strong> very same asthose found in Gaul and Anglesey, countries confessedly Druid,ical. Exclusive <strong>of</strong> this identity, we have many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se monumentsin England, Scotland, and Ireland, still denominated <strong>the</strong>Towns <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Druids— <strong>the</strong> Stones <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Druids— <strong>the</strong> Graves <strong>of</strong>ike Druids— <strong>the</strong> Houses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Druids^ Sfc, There is hardly adistrict <strong>of</strong> six miles square, in Great Britain or Ireland, whichcannot boast <strong>of</strong> one or more <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se antiquities.Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>seDruid's Houses (Tzghte nan Druineach) axe even found inArgyleshire,a clear pro<strong>of</strong> that <strong>the</strong> Druids were not confined toWales, as Pinkarton foolishly imagines, but spread over <strong>the</strong>whole extent <strong>of</strong> Britain,Were we to take Csesar's words literally,and suppose that Druidism was invented in Britain, <strong>the</strong>Druids would certainly disseminate this religion over Britain,and provide it with Druids, before <strong>the</strong>y would think <strong>of</strong> sendingMissionaries to convert Gaul.la whatever country Druidisniprevailed, <strong>the</strong> Druids behoved to be very numerous.They werephilosophers, ministers <strong>of</strong> religion, public teachers, civil judge«,Mstorians and physicians. Every inhabited district had itsshare <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m. On <strong>the</strong> testimony <strong>of</strong> Casar, Britain had an imsaeasemultitude <strong>of</strong> inhB.hitanis—hominum est irflnita multitudo^Indeed, so completely were <strong>the</strong> Druids scattered over <strong>the</strong> wholeextent <strong>of</strong> Britain and Ireland, that, even in th« most remote andsolitary corners, as well as in <strong>the</strong> most desert and insignificantislands, <strong>the</strong>ir monuments are every where to be found. Weiiiay <strong>the</strong>refore safely conclude, (with Mr. Toland) that <strong>the</strong>

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