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

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402 NOTES.died Ollamhs (graduate bards) have struck up <strong>the</strong>ir harps atouce, in <strong>the</strong> hall <strong>of</strong> a single chieftain.I hope I need not inform<strong>the</strong> reader that <strong>the</strong> Bards were <strong>the</strong> second order <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Druids.We have already seen that <strong>the</strong> Druids, before <strong>the</strong>re was ei<strong>the</strong>redict or decree <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Roman senate against <strong>the</strong>m, had fixed tlieirchief college or academy in Britain.On <strong>the</strong> first appearance <strong>of</strong>Roman invasion, <strong>the</strong> same wary policy would dictate <strong>the</strong> necessity<strong>of</strong> transferring it to Ireland, <strong>the</strong> only asylum <strong>the</strong>n left. Buton <strong>the</strong> passing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> relentless laws for<strong>the</strong>y had not only to provide for <strong>the</strong> safety <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>irchief establishmentand principal records, bat even fororder.<strong>the</strong>ir utter extirpation,that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wholeThat <strong>the</strong> Roman decrees were enforced with <strong>the</strong> utmostrigour, is sufficiently evinced, from <strong>the</strong> Emperor Claudius havingso far forgot his dignity as to become <strong>the</strong> executioner <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>se Druids, and from <strong>the</strong> Romans sparing <strong>the</strong> bulk <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> inhabitants<strong>of</strong> Anglesey (pnEsidium impositum victis), whilst <strong>the</strong>yactually and literally roasted <strong>the</strong> Druids alive, ?gni suo invoLvunt. Two such terrible examples were sufficient to alarm <strong>the</strong>Druids in Gaul and Britain ; and so readily did <strong>the</strong>y take thoalarw, and so carefully did <strong>the</strong>y keep out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> way, that <strong>the</strong>reIs not ano<strong>the</strong>r instance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> murder <strong>of</strong> a Druid on record.From <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> this massacre ia Anglesey, <strong>the</strong>re is no moremention <strong>of</strong> Druids in Britain, till Ammianus Marcellinus (about<strong>the</strong> year 338) found <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> Isle <strong>of</strong> Mann.which he gives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m (see Note 20) isThe descriptionanimated and sublime.This is an incontestible pro<strong>of</strong> that <strong>the</strong> Druids were not extirpatedby <strong>the</strong> Romans, but that <strong>the</strong>y fled every where from <strong>the</strong>ir relentlesspersecution. The world, at this time, afforded <strong>the</strong>Druids but few places <strong>of</strong> shelter. The Romans were, at thisperiod, (358) masters <strong>of</strong> allGaul, a considerable part <strong>of</strong> Germany,and nearly <strong>the</strong> whole <strong>of</strong> Britain. Even Anglesey, morethan three centuriesprior to this period, could not afford <strong>the</strong>mshelter against <strong>the</strong> Romans. The Druids in Gaul would naturally,on <strong>the</strong> firstappearance <strong>of</strong> danger, take shelter among <strong>the</strong>Druids in Britain, with whom <strong>the</strong>y were well acquainted, andunder whose ca/e <strong>the</strong>y had completed <strong>the</strong>ir studies. When <strong>the</strong>

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