ture, and wore a perpetual fmile of joy; whilft the inhabitants, ftrangers to every thing that could give pain, enjoyed one eternal fcene of calm feftivity and gladnefs. In fhort, every disagreeable idea was removed from the Druidical heaven, and no property was wanting to it which could recommend a paradife. Indeed the tradition concerning the firft paradife, which in the earlieft ftage of Druidifin would be fresh and well known, might be the model on which they formed it. From the airy halls and other circumftances mentioned in the poems of Offian, the fituation of this happy place feems to have been in fome calm upper region, beyond the reach of every evil which infefts this lower world. This, it must be allowed, was a far more agreeable manfion for the enjoyment of fublime felicity, than that fubterraneous region in which the Greeks and Latins placed their Elyfian fields.

The Druids likewife believed in a hell, or place of future torments, which was a dreary gloomy region, frozen with perpetual cold; an idea of punishment that feems very natural for a people, who live in a climate where the inconveniences of excess of cold are more strongly felt than thofe of heat.

All

It was an article in the Druidical creed, "that it was unlawful to build temples to the gods, or to worship them within walls, and under roofs."* their places of worship therefore were in the open air, in groves planted with those trees in which they moft delighted. The chief of these was the ftrong and fpreading oak, for which they had fo high an efteem, that they did not perform the leaft religious ceremony, without being adorned with garlands of its leaves. In this veneration for the oak, the Druids were not fingular. The priests of other nations, and even the Hebrew patriarchs, feem to have entertained an almoft equal veneration for that tree. + Thefe facred groves were watered by fome confecrated fountain of

river, and surrounded by a ditch or mound, to prevent the intrufion of improper perfons. In the centre of the grove was a circular area, inclofed with one or two rows of large ftones, fet perpendicular in the earth. These conftituted the temple, within which the altar ftood, on which the facrifices were offered. In fome of their molt magnificent temples, particularly that of Stone-henge, they laid ftones of prodigious weight on the tops of the ftanding pillars, which formed a kind of circle in the air, and added much to the grandeur of the whole. Though the facred groves of the Druids have been long deftroyed, yet of the temples and cromlechs, which were inclofed within them, there are ftill many veftiges remaining in the British ifles, and other parts of Europe.

*

The religion of the Druids continued longer in Britain than in fome other countries, having been revived firft by the Saxons, and afterwards by the Danes. Even fo late as the eleventh century, in the reign of Canute, it was found neceffary to make the following law: "We strictly discharge and forbid all our subjects to worship the gods of the gentiles; that is to fay, the fun, moon, fires, rivers, fountains, hills or trees, and woods of any kind."

With regard to Chriftianity, it is highly probable, from the concurring teftimonies of feveral writers, and from other circumftances, that Britain was vifited by the firft rays of the gospel, before the end of the first century. Eufebius, bifhop of Cæfarea, equally famous for his learning and integrity, who flourished in the beginning of the fourth century, and was in high favour with Conftantine the Great, pofitively afferts, that the Christian Religion was first preached in South Britain by the apostles and their difciples; and it is reasonable to fuppofe, that the fuccefs of the Romans paved the way for the triumphs of the gospel of peace. It is certain also, that many of the foldiers and officers in the Roman armies were Chriftians; and as

Stone tables, on which the Druids prepared their facrifices,

their legions were repeatedly fent over into England to extend as well as to preferve their conquefts, it is more than probable, that Christianity was thus diffused among the natives.

After the fuppreffion of the revolt under Boadicea, Britain enjoyed great tranquillity for many years, under a fucceffion of mild and good governors, and prefented an inviting afylum to chriftians, who were cruelly perfecuted in other parts, particularly at Rome. For the greateft part of that imperial city having been reduced to afhes by a dreadful fire, the A. D. 64. infernal tyrant Nero, in order to divert the fufpicion of his having been the incendiary, laid the blame of it upon the Chriftians, and on that falfe pretence, put great numbers of them to the most cruel kinds of death. "Some of them were wrapt in the fkins of wild beafts, and torn in pieces by dogs; others were crucified; and others committed to the flames.*” From thofe dreadful fufferings, great multitudes of them fled into other countries; of whom not a few took fhelter in this ifland, as a place of the greateft fafety, and thereby much increased the number of chriftians in Britain.

If any of the apoftles vifited this country, it was St. Paul, whofe zeal, fortitude, and diligence, were abundant. For though Jofeph of Arimathea and St. Peter, are faid to have preached the gospel, and Simon Zelotes to have fuffered martyrdom here, yet the belief of thefe affertions refts on no better foundation than monkifh legends. We have good authority to fay, that in the year 182, there was a school of learning to provide the British churches with proper teachers;+ from which period it would appear, that Chriftianity fpread its benign and falutary influence among the inhabitants, in their feveral diftricts.

• Tacitus,

+ Archbishop Usher.

CHAP.

CHAP. III.

CONSTITUTION, GOVERNMENT, AND LAWS OF

THE

THE ANCIENT BRITONS..

HE fathers and heads of families were the firft fovereigns, and the patriarchal was the most ancient form of government. The firft ftates or civil focieties, therefore, were large tribes or clans, confifting of brothers, fifters, coufins, and other near relations, living in the fame district, under the protection of their common parent, or of his representative, the head of the tribe or family. But this government, in its moft pure and fimple form, was not of long duration. For as thefe tribes became more numerous, they gradually approached nearer to one another. Difputes arofe between them, about their limits, their properties, the honour and dignity of their chiefs, and many other things. Thefe difputes produced wars; and each of the contending clans, in order to defend themselves and annoy their enemies, contracted alliances with one or more neighbouring clans, which were thereby, in a little time, confolidated into one large fociety. When Britain was invaded by the Romans, it contained many independent ftates, each compofed of feveral tribes or clanfhips. Of this it will be fufficient to give one decifive proof. The Cantii or people of Kent, at that period, formed one of the British kingdoms; and yet Cæfar mentions no fewer than four kings in Kent at the fame time, who could be no other than the chieftains or heads of fo many clans or families, of which that little kingdom was compofed.

The counties of Effex and Middlefex, and fome part of Surry, were poffeffed by the Trinobantes, or Trinouantes. The name of this nation feems to be derived from the three following British words, Tri, Now, and Hant, which fignify the inhabitants of the new city; for by them London was founded, the most

ancient name of which was Tri-now, or the New City. The Silures or inhabitants of Wales, were unquestionably one of the braveft of the ancient British nations, and defended their country and their liberty against the Romans, with the moft heroic fortitude. According to Ptolemy, who flourished about the middle of the fecond century, there was not fo much as one town among the Caledonii, the ancient inhabitants of the Highlands, and northern parts of Scotland. This feems to be a proof, that these nations, or rather tribes, at that period, led a wandering unfettled life, ftrangers to agriculture, fubfifting on their flocks and herds, on what they caught in hunting, or got by plunder, and on the fpontaneous productions of the earth. The Texali, who were in poffeffion of the fea-coafts, feem to have been more fettled, and in a more advanced state of civilization. They had a town called Devana, at the mouth of the river Deva, or Dee, where Aberdeen now ftands.

As both agriculture and commerce were in their infancy in this ifland, and extenfive tracts of it were covered with woods and marshes, at the time of the firft Roman invafion, it is highly probable that it was not very populous. If we allow twenty thoufand perfons of both fexes to each of the thirty-eight nations, they will make in all 760,000. Some learned authors will not admit of this number. But any computation much short of this must certainly be too low, when we confider what is faid by Tacitus and Dio of the numerous armies of the Britons in thofe early ages. The power of the ancient British monarchs was circumfcribed within very narrow bounds. A fierce people, powerful and martial chieftains, and minifters of religion who had so much influence as the Druids, were not likely to fubmit to the will of a fovereign, as a fupreme law. They commanded the forces of their refpective ftates in time of war, but they could not imprifon or punish any of their foldiers. This was wholly in the hands of the Druids. "None but the priests can inflict confinement, stripes,

er