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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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OP THE DRUIDS. 79being oonceni'd in this history, <strong>the</strong>re ^vere notonly Druidesses; but some even <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> highestrank, and princesses <strong>the</strong>mselves were educatedby <strong>the</strong> Druids: for in our annals we read, that<strong>the</strong> two daughters <strong>of</strong> king Laogirius*, in whosereign Patric preach'd Christianity, were educatedby tliem; and we have <strong>the</strong> particulars <strong>of</strong> a longflispute those young ladies maintained againstthis <strong>new</strong> religion, very natural but very subtil.Several o<strong>the</strong>r ladies bred under <strong>the</strong> Druids becamefamous for <strong>the</strong>ir writings and pr<strong>of</strong>iciency inlearning, <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> whom we shall occasionallygive an account: but lest I shou'd be thousrht inevery thing to flatter <strong>the</strong> sex, how much soever Irespect <strong>the</strong>m, I refer <strong>the</strong> reader to a story in mythird letter.But, in order to complete my design,vsoas to leave no room for any to write on this subjectafter me ;and also to procure several valuablemanuscripts, or au<strong>the</strong>ntic copies <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, %veilknowing where <strong>the</strong>y ly, I purpose towards <strong>the</strong>spring to take a journey for at least six months:which, at our next meeting, I shall do myself <strong>the</strong>honour to impart to your lordship very particularly.XT. The Irish, a few Scandinavian and Danishwords excepted, being not only a dialect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ancient Celtic or Gallic, but being also liker <strong>the</strong>mo<strong>the</strong>r than her o<strong>the</strong>r daughter <strong>the</strong> British ;and<strong>the</strong> Irish manuscripts being niiore numercu^ and* Laoghaire.

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