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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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this name.OF THE DRUIDS. 87The Celtic language being now almostextinct in Gaule, except onely in lower Brittany,and such Gallic words as remain scatterdamong <strong>the</strong> French ; subsists however intire in <strong>the</strong>several dialects* <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Celtic colonies, as do <strong>the</strong>word sogimi and ogma, particularly in Irish.Noris <strong>the</strong>re any thing better known to <strong>the</strong> learned, orwill appear more undeniable in <strong>the</strong> sequel <strong>of</strong> thiswork, than that words lost in one dialect <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>unme common language, are <strong>of</strong>ten found in ano<strong>the</strong>r:as a Saxon word, for example, grown obsoletein Germany, but remaining yet in England,may be also us'd in Switzerland; or ano<strong>the</strong>r wordgrown out <strong>of</strong> date in England, and fiourisliing stillin Denmark, continues likewise in Iceland. Somost <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> antiquated English words are moreor less corruptly extant in Friezlancl, Jutland, and<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r nor<strong>the</strong>rn countries ; w ith not a few in <strong>the</strong>Lowlands <strong>of</strong> Scotland, and in <strong>the</strong> old English palein Ireland.to hisXII. Now, from <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong> Hercules let's comeperson, or at least to <strong>the</strong> person acknowledg'dto have been one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> heros worshiped by<strong>the</strong> Gauls, and suppos'd by <strong>the</strong> Greecs and Ro«mans to be Hercules. On this occasion I cannotbut reflect on <strong>the</strong> opposite conduct, which <strong>the</strong>learned and <strong>the</strong> unlearned formerly observed, withrespect to <strong>the</strong> God* and divine matters.<strong>the</strong> ignorance or superstitionIf, thro'<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> people, any'''ThesQ are Brittish, Welsh, Cornish. Irish. Maaks, and Earse.

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